Twin Bond - Rewrite In Progress
by Instantt
Summary: A botched reincarnation is not as seamless as it seems. Expecting to make it through all the way is foolish - you make it through in tattered seams and a mix of what you are and what you were. But...if I can help him...if we can help each other, maybe those fragments will be all I need to make a stand. TwinTodoroki Semi-SI OC. KatsukixOC. REWRITE IN PROGRESS. 3/4/19
1. Roommates in the dark

**A/N: I haven't been on this site in well over four years. Crazy how time passes huh? If you're interested in my old stories, I won't be able to continue them. It's been too long. I don't know the characters like I used to and frankly I'd probably just end up rewriting them – which is a hassle aha. Feel free to borrow the story concepts though – just credit me and you're golden. If you're really interested in how some of them end, just message me. I still have the concepts in mind. Just can't put them to words.**

 **Anyways, those stories are not related to this fandom whatsoever so they're not my focus. I've been thinking about this for a while and it's not very original – but I think I can give it my charm to make it enjoyable.**

 **I really like reviews – ESPECIALLY critique. Just let me know what you like or if I make any mistakes etc. Everything is welcome! This is more of a self-indulgent type of thing but I'd be happy to see others enjoy it as well.**

 **Plus Ultra!**

 **~ Instantt**

* * *

A botched reincarnation is not as simple as waking up as a child, fully remembering your entire previous life. I should have known it would not be that simple – nothing in life is ever simple. If everything had turned out properly, I would have never remembered the struggle against whatever held this universe together as it tried to tear me apart – tear me in to someone completely different. That had always been my biggest fear about dying, knowing that everything I was and everyone I knew would never stay with me. Maybe that's why things didn't fall in to place like they should of. I was simply too stubborn to let go of everything I was. Unfortunately, I couldn't simply keep all of it.

Now that would have been too easy.

* * *

It must have been quick and painless, as I couldn't remember exactly what happened to me in my previous life. Or maybe I simply held on to only strands of whoever I had been previously, clinging to whatever remained of my tattered soul floating in this cruel, warm abyss. Occasionally my mind was assaulted with uncontrollable glimpses in to my former life, ranging from just about everything you could imagine you might see in your everyday life. I took some comfort in these strange visions, knowing that was all I had in this strange darkness.

I hadn't quite figured out if I had gone blind or I was simply in an incredibly dark place – hell I couldn't even feel myself all that well really. It was a strange and curious existence, though I would be lying if I said I felt no fear. I was a glimmer of something surrounded by nothing, and for all I knew, soon I would become nothing too.

Yet, while time was simply redundant in this dark expanse, I began to gain some semblance of feeling the longer I was here. At some point I could even move, albeit it was cramped and therefore pointless to bother. Honestly? I had been gambling on my eyesight returning or somebody turning on some god damn lights – but that would have been too kind. No, instead I found myself wiggling just a bit one day, only to find something shift beside me. Whoever created humans was merciful that day, not letting us have a voice inside this god forsaken darkness, because what I felt that day startled my mind so bad I probably would have scared my expecting mother to bits with how loud I would have shrieked. Instead all I could do was have a mini panic-attack inside this cramped little space, unsure of what else had been occupying my temporary living space. Had they been here all this time? Were they just as lost and confused as I was, or was I the only abnormal one here?

Who are you?

* * *

I will never be impatient again. I hope that nobody else ever goes through this endless, boring hell for what seemed like years – unsure of whatever the hell was wiggling beside me. I eventually came to terms with the fact that they were likely just as blind and just as unthreatening as I was – but it would be nice if we could communicate. There was something oddly comforting listening to what I assumed was their heartbeat next to mine, the knowledge that I was not alone a strong anchor for my sanity to grasp on to.

Of course, it was soon after I came to this acceptance that I was promptly ejected by the landlord. Everything had suddenly become incredibly too tight – especially with a second inhabitant in the room – and I found myself being roughly shifted around. One second I seemed to be fighting for dominance with my suddenly active roommate, and the next thing I knew, I was struggling to get a handle on what the hell was going on. All my senses seemed to be sending off all kinds of alarms and it just made everything seem so much louder, not that I could even being to understand what the sounds were. The only good thing out of all of this was my voice somehow coming to life, even if I was simply screaming and wailing and making sure everybody knew I was upset. Even in the chaotic mess that was my birth, I somehow managed to find some coherent thoughts in those first few days of confusion.

Where was my roommate?

* * *

The first few days of being a baby, were quite frankly, boring. I know I said I'd give up on being impatient after spending so long in that darkness, but there are some things a person just can't let go of. All my senses still seemed to be in a state of panic and with all the increased movement and new sounds, it was hard to get a read on my situation. To be honest, I thought I was hallucinating when I started to recognize the giant people that seemed to inhabit my surroundings as my eyesight finally started to work properly for a change. Everything was huge in fact – and I was tiny and incapable of moving on my own. It really sucked.

It was during those days that I slowly became aware of a consistent figure in my weird new life – a woman with long white hair. Though my eyesight had been a little dodgy at the time, I assumed she had been the one carrying me a few times in the past few days. I had caught glimpses of what seemed to be fire moving in the air, but I dismissed that as some sort of freaky hallucination – if we assumed these giant people were not hallucinations anyways. Nonetheless, while I couldn't be sure of the reality I was in, the constant kindness and warmth that seemed to radiate from her was more than enough for me to accept her as someone I could trust.

Reality only hit when I found myself in front of a mirror, the image of a pudgy, baby girl with bright blue orbs and locks of white and red staring back with wonder. Settled opposite of the little girl was a young boy that appeared to be her twin, his eyes closed but his locks of hair the same nonetheless. It was only when I reached forward to investigate – or try to anyways as my limbs were pretty unresponsive – that I realized who I was looking at in the mirror.

"Anata, Shoto-kun to Homura-chan! Watashi no amai tenshi~"

I was a baby.

"Watashi wa anata o totemo aishiteimasu" **(I love you very much)**

I was a tiny, defenseless little baby with an adult mind with a new family and a new mom….

"Watashi wa kare ga anata o kizutsukeru koto wa arimasen…." **(I will not let him hurt you)**

The woman I would come to refer to my mother eventually seemed to hug us closer to her, oblivious of my impending tantrum that would disrupt the flow of the household, her eyes teeming with worry for the future as she held her twins. Her voice seemed to shake a little as she spoke again, her body trembling to the unknown as she unconsciously protected them from whatever the future held in store for them.

"Watashi wa itsumo anata o mamorimasu…" **(I will always protect you)**

Then, of course, I ruined the moment by utilizing my developing vocal chords for the second time in an overdramatic, albeit warranted, fashion and promptly startled my brother out of his slumber. Soon there were two bundles of red and white bawling their eyes out with one frantic mother, eventually assisted by the households' servants while I tried to get a handle on my situation.

My name was Homura Todoroki, twin sibling to Shoto Todoroki, and an adult stuck in a child's body. At the very least, I had found out who my roommate was.

Not that it did me any good.

* * *

It was an odd family environment I found myself in, surrounded by people I wasn't sure I could even refer to as family. Though I only had shreds of memories from my previous life, I was certain I already had a family. I wanted to be stubborn, to only accept that as roommate rather than anything else. I wasn't that heartless or stubborn, however, as I found myself surrounded with love far stronger than any simple roommate could ever provide.

"Homura-chan, ōpun!" **(Homura-chan, open up!)**

Setsuko Todoroki was a seemingly frail woman compared to those I remembered in fragments, her body language suggesting she was constantly nervous about something. There seemed to be servants in this house, but she was quick to dismiss them when it came to Shoto and I. Still, there was something unnerving about being an adult forced to use a bottle.

I scrunched up my nose a little and closed my eyes, looking downright squeamish as I stared down my mortal enemy. Even if I took the form of a child, it was downright degrading! I let out a little whimper and squirmed in her hold, vaguely aware of Shoto starting to make a fuss himself from his little rocker. Setsuko seemed more than a little exasperated.

"Homura-chan, tabemono o tabenakereba naranai!'" **(Homura-chan, please! You have to eat your food!)** she seemed to pause for a moment, her eyes flickering over to Shoto's impending tantrum. "Dochira mo shimasu!" **(Both of you do!)**

I ended up in a rocker myself, torn between throwing a tantrum and just letting myself calm down from that horrible experience. I watched as Shoto was the perfect little angel for once, completely calm as he took the bottle with far more grace than I would ever manage in my babyhood. I felt a little guilty for my fussiness, but Shoto seemed to make up for it and for that I was grateful. After a few seconds of guilt, however, I decided that was enough of that. I was bored.

"Uwaa…." I couldn't speak yet of course, especially considering the entire new language hurdle I would have to cross, but I could make a few weird noises in varying displays of different emotions. As if to emphasize my displeasure, I started squirming a bit and wiggling my little hands around until I caught her attention. Setsuko laughed at my antics, holding Shoto close to her chest as she walked over to my rocker.

"Orokana homura-chan!" she giggled a little, reaching for the top of my rocker to press a few buttons before I found myself gently rocked to a soft rhythm.

I blinked at this new development, finding the combination of the gentle movement and soothing tone too much for even my adult mind to handle as I slowly became drowsy, vaguely aware of Setsuko's quiet giggles as she set Shoto in his own beside me.

It was a pretty good picture moment – and I hope she took advantage of it – and I found both Shoto and I dozing off like this for several peaceful hours. Of course, this world was far from peaceful and I found that no matter where I went, family troubles always seemed to be brewing a foot away.

I stirred quietly at the sound of loud footsteps, both from Setsuko's sudden frantic movements and from someone down a hall. I was alert within a few seconds, considerations made for the lull of music and rocking, as the door suddenly slammed open, shocking Shoto out of his own peaceful slumber. The voice that seemed to overtake the room would be one I would come to fear, and grudgingly respect, in the future. For now, it gave me hope. After all, I couldn't not hope for a loving father alongside Setsuko.

"Watashi no kodomo wa doko ni imasu ka?" **(Where are my children?)**

"Karera wa nete iru, chottomatte chōdai!" **(They are trying to rest!)**

" Waki ni josei o oki nasai!" **(Move aside woman!)**

There was no way I could be drowsy at this point, picking up on the increasingly determined but trembling voice of Setsuko as she seemed to try and ward away a man. His harsh tones confused me, as I had been expecting someone like Setsuko, but my concerns flew out the window when a face suddenly obscured my vision of the world.

A face on fire.

This man's face was on god damn fire.

WHY WAS NOBODY PANICKING?

Completely overwhelmed with this sudden development, I became too absorbed in my trembling and impending tears that I failed to notice my little body being lifted until I found myself cradled against the larger man. I started whimpering in fear, the fire above me quelling any curiosity I might have felt towards this strange man holding me close.

"Anata wa kanojo o kowagatte iru yo!" **(You're scaring them!)**

Setsuko's voice broke through my tears, her soothing tones helping me try to get a grasp on my panic. The man above seemed to take notice finally, absorbed in something else before the flame adorning his face slowly died down, revealing bright red locks like mine. He seemed to be scrutinizing me carefully, judging me for something I could not hope to understand at the time. It made me uncomfortable and nervous, my body shifting a bit as I tried to find Setsuko's figure. He didn't seem to mind my obvious displeasure, however, handing me over to Setsuko without a second glance before he zeroed in on Shoto. Unlike me, Shoto was completely unaffected by the large figure and seemed even delighted, much to Setsuko's display.

While our father focused on Shoto, I suddenly felt the air around me growing chillier by the second. It was with dawning horror that I noticed bits of ice forming from where my mother's hands held me gently, causing yet another panic attack to bubble up inside me once more. Her eyes seemed unnaturally focused on the man, her hands gripping me a little too hard for comfort despite my increasing signs of discomfort. I ended up having to let out a little cry to break her concentration, though the man's attention was also caught as well.

"Anata ga watashi no kodomo o kōraseru mae ni, anata no hitorigoto o josei kara hazushi nasai" he seemed to sneer as he addressed her, setting an oblivious Shoto down before almost roughly removing me from Setsuko's grasp, her sense seeming to come to her while I was carefully warmed by the man. I was momentarily distracted by this, forgetting my fractured view of reality as I unconsciously snuggled closer to the warmth. The man seemed to smile at this, though it was not one of kindness and soon I was deposited back in to my own rocker, oblivious to the few harsh words exchanged between Setsuko and the man before he vacated the room, leaving her to tremble and bury her face in her hands for a moment. Though I was only a child and new to this strange world, I knew this was only the beginning of what would be a rocky road ahead of me.

It was also, in the dead of night as I lay cuddled beside Shoto, that my brain finally processed what had happened. My parents had superpowers.

What the hell.

* * *

 **A/N:I don't know if they ever revealed Shoto's mother's name or the two brothers, so for now we'll leave them at that. I know its kind of an awkwardly spaced beginning, but I don't want to spend ten chapters on their baby years. I'm going to have a little of it at the next chapter, but most of their growth and story happens in the toddler years and prior to U.A. – so I'd rather just get a bunch of the "holy crap im a baby" revelations out here and now.**

 **I hope ya'll like it – It was a real treat to write and I might have the second chapter up soon since I'm already working on it. I'm excited for this little project.**

 **Reviews are always appreciated – especially if there are area's I can improve on or if information is outdated! Thank you 3**

 ****Fixed translations. Some of them got lost along the way so a few are rough, but they are basically what I intended to say. OOPS).**


	2. Quirk to Quirkless

**A/N: The timeline is a bit wonky in this. I wrote it originally, but edited and redid a bunch of parts. Felt like I didn't have enough dialogue – I still might not have much. I tried to flesh out the other siblings more as well – I don't think the brothers have names nor do any of the three have named quirks, so I'm kinda making it up as I go. If we ever get history, we'll just pretend I was typing everything right all along yeah?**

 **Reviews**

 **Guest #1 – Ya, I completely forgot to save the translations when I first did it. I even had to redo them because google wouldn't backwards translate for me and I couldn't remember. Lesson learned ya? Lol**

 **Guest #2 – I considered doing a Twin Midoriya fic. But their family kinda felt…boring? Shoto's family has a huge history and a bunch of drama and it just felt more interesting to write imo.**

 **In Brightest Day - 😊**

 **Guest #3 – Thank you so much 3 Hopefully this chapter isn't too confusing!**

 **Xenocanaan – Thank you! I got a nice long chapter this time around 3**

* * *

I couldn't even begin to try and call my household a family – as it seemed so splintered and broken I wasn't sure if there was really any true love within it. My mother was a constant presence in our lives while our father…...well he was a presence that's for sure. He would visit us every so often, but the visits were short, and he only seemed to study us as if waiting for something to happen. I had come to know him as Enji (though occasionally the name Endeavor came up; not sure why he had such a weird nickname) and unlike with my mother, I didn't know if I could refer to him as a father. I couldn't help but long to call him such, however, so as time passed by and I slowly gained more control of my limbs and accessories, I chose my first word to be "Oto-san". I think I shocked him so bad I found that his fire was in more places than just his beard. I did feel bad for my mother, who seemed to tense up rather than congratulate me on my first word - luckily Shoto picked up the slack for me in that area with his word being "Oka-san".

Shoto was a very unique experience for me; I don't recall ever having a brother, let alone a twin. It was different with him than our parents – he and I had been almost one in the same. After the first year of our lives together, he seemed to finally recognize my constant presence along with mother. I could easily find him staring at me in wonder as we played with our various toys, him tagging along behind me whenever he could manage. If I wiggled awkwardly across the floor too far from him, you could be certain he was on his belly on a quest to reach me. Sleeping? Hah, we were basically each other's pillows. I didn't even have to worry about blankets with him cuddled up so close, though that was still nonnegotiable. Never knew what would grab you without your blankets protecting you, even if I was an adult. Sort of.

He was the only rock in my life really, what with our family being oddly splintered and separated for the first few years. I vaguely remember glimpse or white and red unrelated to either of my parents, but they were so scarce that I couldn't put a name to them. Not for a while anyways. All I had was my mother, who seemed to grow paler by the day, and my brother who was basically an extra limb at this point. As we progressively grew older and hit each of the child milestones, however, we found ourselves gaining more and more freedom. That was how I found myself one day, faceplanting in to the snow with a shocked shriek.

* * *

"Homura-chan, don't lose your scarf!"

Fuyumi's amused voice pierced through the snow I had been deposited in to, a little bit or worry but nonetheless giggling at my expense. I scowled a little, pushing my five-year old body up with all the strength I had. I adjusted my loose scarf carefully, securing it around my neck before zoning in on my target. I let out a ferocious little roar as I lunged at my older sister, her laughter cutting through the cold as she dodged my weak attack.

"Run, she's back up! Hide in the towers!" Sora shouted from a little ways away, his mop of red hair dusted over with bits of snow. He promptly turned on his heel and fell right in to Kaito, sending them both to the ground laughing. I grinned mischievously, picking out the weak as I ran forward with all my might, lunging at the tangled-up brothers.

"Ah, we've been defeated! Run Fuyumi-chan!" Sora exclaimed dramatically, Kaito seemingly passing out behind him with just as much exaggeration.

"I got you Onii-chan! I win! You it!" I giggled through broken Japanese, taking the opportunity to cuddle up to my brother's abnormal body heat. Sora seemed to take the hint and wrapped his arms around me, hoisting me up along with Kaito as the three of us took a breather. Fuyumi ran up to us after a few seconds, grinning, nearly jumping right in to the impromptu cuddle pile. We promptly toppled over from the combined weight once more, laughing wildly, though my eyes drifted towards a set of heterochronic ones observing from the house. Shoto and I caught each other's eye for a single moment before he was pulled along, only guilt remaining from our brief interaction.

"I think it's getting too cold for Homura-chan" Kaito eventually croaked from the bottom of the kid pile, a slight smile on his face regardless. Fuyumi snorted.

"With Sora around? You can't ever get cold" she giggled, Sora puffing up with a bit of pride as he untangled himself. I giggled a bit as I clung to his warm body, letting my thoughts wander back to reality.

"If you get cold with me around, then you're not hugging me hard enough. I'm a mobile space heater with personality to boot!"

"More like attitude" Fuyumi snorted, helping me to my feet and adjusting my scarf while Kaito and Sora sorted themselves out.

"I want warm too! Why can't I too?" I ignored the lingering guilt as I spoke, the lie slipping out easily as Fuyumi ruffled my hair.

"It's okay to be quirkless Homura-chan. Just think about it; we don't need to be a pair of hotheads to be special" she giggled, ignoring the cry of protest from the red-haired brother. God, it hurt so much to laugh, and yet I found myself laughing alongside her.

"I would be amazing even without my quirk! Tell her Kaito!"

"Lying in front of Homura-chan? I could never!"

"Kaito!"

Fuyumi rolled her eyes, seemingly mirroring my exasperated thoughts as she gently guided me from the impending quarrel and back in to the main household to warm up.

It was odd returning to this part of the house even after these past months, knowing that my other half would never be by my side no matter how much I longed for him. I couldn't even convince myself that I was an adult and didn't need him; I loved Shoto. He was my twin; my roommate, and I'd be damned if I said I could ever forget him. Fuyumi must have noticed my unusual silence, carefully removing both of our outside shoes and I struggled with my inner thoughts. I was barely aware of her presence, simply following along down the halls and I felt my mind trembling.

Fragments of my former life had become more prominent ever since Shoto and I separated, strange visions assaulting my mind nightly. Maybe if I was stronger I could have held on to them fully, but alas my soul had barely hung on as it was. I saw visions or red and white, and for some reason, boiling water that seemed to melt away everything. There was always a sense of intense pain, and eventually, a desolate cold that reminded me of the loneliness of my first moments of existence. It was overwhelming and there was not a single soul I could tell about it.

"Homura-chan?"

I blinked once. Twice. A third time because I might as well. Fuyumi and I seemed to have migrated to the main living room, her face at eye level with me as she seemingly checked for a fever. I blinked again before letting a bright smile slip over my face, reaching up and poking her in the forehead in response.

"Ne-chan, hand big!" I giggled, distracting her from her worries as she gave in to her own giggles.

"One day you're going to be just as big too silly. What are you going to do then, huh?"

"Nooooo~"

* * *

 **A/N : (Past - Pre section above ; towards the end is after part above. Sorry for weird timeline!)**

Those powers I had noticed earlier in my baby years? They were known as quirks here and almost everybody seemed to have some kind of special ability. If you could think of it, it probably existed within somebody. 'Normal' people were becoming rarer and rarer by the generation, though they still existed like my elder sister Fuyumi. I was considered quirkless in a sense as well, though that was not the case. Shoto and I were one in the same; this also applied to our quirk. Yet between the two of us, I could almost certainly say Shoto deserved it and so much better more than I ever did.

I was a coward.

Shoto deserved so much more.

We had recently turned four, something I would have considered a small milestone with the years to come. Four was nothing special – you didn't start school where I was from nor did you do anything inherently special. It was just a filler age that meant nothing whatsoever. This world was different though.

"Oto-san"

Silence.

"Oto-saaaan"

More silence.

"OTO-SAA-"

I found myself in a corner a mere seconds later, slightly warmer than I had been previously. I resisted the urge to growl, simply turning around to look for the current object of my attention. Our father sat on a mat across the room, his attention focused on what I assumed was work-related materials. It was kind of a waste, in my opinion, considering he only recently started showing a sliver of interest in us. I had hoped to capitalize on his decision, but alas the man was stubborn. I was just as stubborn too, however, and my adult mind was already formulating a plan before I was interrupted.

"Ne-san, play?"

Shoto plopped down in the corner beside me, trying to keep a hold of an alarming number of blocks for his size as he tried to get my attention. His eyes held hope in them as he struggled to keep the blocks from falling, though it was a futile attempt. Still, he succeeded in his goal.

"Blocks fall. Make tower? Yes?"

I had an insanely hard time formulating proper sentences with an entire language already inhabiting my mind. I probably looked like I was slightly challenged in terms of speech, but it was really more that my adult mind was not the same as a child's. I would have to put far more effort in to it. Still, I got my point across and Shoto beamed brightly, picking up one of the multi-colored blocks as we planned our ultimate defense tower.

"Bigger"

"More!"

I had somehow become the captain of our little fort, Shoto listening to my barely coherent demands as we built the best damn tower in the household with the blocks.

"Ne-san, I have to potty,"

A mere twenty minutes in to our escalating war against the army of stuffed animals, Shoto started to squirm. A quick glance our father's way told me he was completely engrossed in his work, so I simply sighed and shakily got to my feet. I held out my hand for my twin, who happily took it as we waddled across the wooden floor towards the nearest bathroom.

Shoto didn't need my help per say, but my presence helped him calm down a bit. I ended up crouching on the ground next to the bathroom, idly running my hands over the smooth floor as my brother did his thing. I was practically spacing out when it hit.

It started with a small tugging on my chest, snapping me out of my daze and towards my chest. It was like a faint tugging, as if somebody was prodding curiously at my heart but doing no more than that. Curiously, I did the mental equivalent of tugging back, only to hear my brother gasp in surprise from the background. As soon as I heard a thud, I was in the bathroom in an instance.

Shoto sat with his butt on the ground, thankfully finished with his other business, but looking incredibly conflicted. I frowned, waddling over carefully as I noticed his trembling, only to spot a thin layer of ice forming on his right arm. Instinctively I reached for him, a warm feeling spreading up my arm as I gently touched the ice, watching as a flicker of flame suddenly burst out of my hand. It was small and inconsequential, but a fire was still a fire. And it was on my god damn hand.

I let out a tiny shriek of surprise, falling on my butt as well right beside Shoto as we both struggled with our newfound abilities. I was frightened – I didn't know how to handle this newfound power. I had known there was a chance I'd get something, but nothing could really prepare yourself for flames spitting out of your hands just as easily as you breathed. Shoto seemed to notice my fear, and though I was the true adult in this situation, seemed to be the only one with a grip. I felt the tugging again, only this time it ripped in to me with force, and I gasped as I felt the warmth leave my body entirely. As if on cue, fire seemed to appear on Shoto's other hand. I could only stare in shock as Shoto glanced down at his hands, his child mind putting together the situation far more than my cracking adult mind could.

We were twins, born from the same mother and roommates in the dark. We were practically one, so it was only natural we would share the quirk our parents had passed down.

I was barely aware of the panicked footsteps from outside the room, our mother bursting in as though she assumed us dead. Her eyes traveled from my startled form to Shoto's blossoming quirk, absolute despair on her features as she realized what was happening.

There was something about the look on her expression that tore through the fragments of my mind, the beginnings of what would be nightmare after nightmare of boiling water melting everything. Even if I had an adult mind, years of being in the form of a child had dulled my coping mechanisms and I was thus unable to function for a few seconds, dimly aware of our mother pulling us both towards her as she tried to help Shoto.

"Shoto-kun, Shoto-kun, you have to hide it. You have to hide it, please-"her frantic whispered mattered not, as the heavy footsteps of my father entered the room. I glanced upward at the flaming man, and though I finally saw a genuine smile on his face, it was not one I associated with kindness. I was afraid – we were afraid.

"I've finally done it. A worthy heir. A worthy successor of my power. Your training will begin today" Enji Todoroki announced with an almost animalistic grin on his face, roughly shoving aside our mother to yank Shoto out of our grasp. I instinctually reached for his hand, only for my mother to pull back quickly before something happened. Shoto's eyes were wide with fear, our quirk vanishing just as quickly as it had come due to the tenseness of the situation.

"No, no you can't separate them. Enji-"

"Does she have a quirk just as powerful?"

The directness of the question startled me, and the attention he bestowed upon me was not one of a father looking upon his child, but of a man looking at another adult. For a sheer moment I thought he could see right in to me, at the tattered shreds of my soul. At the subtle prompt, I tried to recall the fire to my hands, only to find my power completely robbed from me. I stared at my hand in wonder, tugging harder on my power, only to feel a stronger grip yank it back. It was then I realized what was happening.

Shoto wouldn't let go.

I looked up at my brother, and the powerful determination in his eyes floored me. He was only four. He was only four. I was the adult here and, yet I found myself outmatched by his sheer determination to keep our power to himself. One might have called him selfish for hogging it all, but I knew better. I knew my brother. He was trying to be the hero. He was trying to protect me.

And in that moment, I let him.

Enji sneered, having expected me to have nothing to show. It was a well-known fact that in the case of twins, it was not uncommon for one to turn out incredibly strong while the other weaker, if not completely quirkless. I was completely worthless to him, just another failed experiment that was finally ready to be thrown out with the rest. If I even showed a quirk, it could never match up to the power Shoto had shown. Not that either parent knew what was truly going on.

"As expected. Set her in the room with Fuyumi – she will take care of her alongside the servants. Shoto's training plans will be revised today. You will follow the schedule when you visit him. His destiny is set", our father spoke harshly, yanking the four-year nearly off his feet as he exited the room, Shoto's eyes catching mine once more before I was left alone in that room with my mother. I couldn't tell who was more shaken up in that moment, letting my mother collect me quietly as my world seemed to flip upside down.

I would prod and tug at our power every so often, my weak attempts practically nothing compared to his iron will. It was funny for a four-year-old to best an adult, but he seemed to have a stronger resolve than I could have ever imagined. No, my past life and experiences would be completely useless in this world – I had to rely on everything I was now if I wanted to gain an advantage. I could tell myself that I simply didn't want to disappoint my brother, the one who was trying hard to protect me and be the hero he dreamed. I could tell myself that I was supporting his dream. I could tell myself I was being a supportive sister.

I was really scared, and I didn't know what to do.

I was even willing to let a four-year-old take the fall for us.

What was wrong with me?

Days turned in to weeks as I found my parents almost completely gone from my life. I saw them sparingly of course, and mother made sure to visit me every night, but Shoto had taken both of their focus away from me. I knew he needed it though – well, mom's attention anyways – and I dared not take away the little support Shoto had. My siblings made up for our parent's absence, and as depressing as it was, I could tell they were used to comforting a newly abandoned sibling. We had all struggled through our inability to meet our father's hopes, but I wasn't sure if that was a bad thing.

I was quiet for a few days after I was introduced to the make-shift family my siblings had created in their parents' absence – Fuyumi being our surrogate mother with Kaito as the father and Sora the weird uncle. They seemed to understand my daze, and instead of pestering me with questions, simply took me along wherever they went without bothering me. Though the constant block in my chest tore at my fragile mental state, I found myself returning to a normal four-year-old girl who hadn't just been abandoned and lost her twin brother at the same time. It was tragic really – when I knew exactly what Shoto was doing for me.

At five years' old, I was confirmed to have a quirk of some sort – one they expected would manifest soon with time. With my brother's showcase of his quirk, the family doctor expected my quirk to manifest weakly or practically nonexistent – something passive only I could notice. I didn't try to argue with them, and not just because my grasp on Japanese was still horrendous. With all my doubts and hesitation, there was no way I could wrestle anything away from my brother's side. Even my intense desire to see him again did nothing in the face of his desire to protect me.

I was so weak.

My hair had grown out to my shoulders in the past few months, heavily dominated by my father's red locks. My hair split like Shoto's, but the white side was the lesser part, the weaker part in terms of color. My mother's hands gently threaded through the white parts of my hair, avoiding my red locks as if they'd burn her. Knowing my potential, that might even come to pass.

"Ka-san, want to see nii-san. Ka-san, please? Ka-san?"

My mother held me close, clearly worn down and tired as we sat together in the room I shared with Fuyumi. In the time since Shoto had been taken by my father, my mother's condition seemed to have deteriorated enough that I barely recognized her. Her face seemed sunken and haggard, light bruises littering her skin as she simply held me quietly for a few moments. I didn't know how to help her, but I did know I wanted Shoto again.

"Shoto-kun is training to be a hero. He's going to save people Homura-chan" she seemed unsure of herself as she spoke, but I could believe those words regardless of tone. I clung to my mother tighter, words bubbling out before I could reconsider.

"Like Oto-san?"

Wrong answer. Her grip tightened on my hair, suddenly threading through the red as if she was fit to yank them free. I whined a bit at the sudden roughness, pulling away slightly and staring at her with wide eyes.

"Oh...Homura-chan I'm so sorry…" she seemed to whisper, closing her eyes for a moment as if trying to banish an image. A smile appeared on her lips then, weaker than I had seen before but a smile nonetheless.

"Do you want to see Shoto-kun?"

I didn't waste a breath.

"Yes! I want Nii-san!"

I reactively tugged at my power, somewhat relieved to feel the stronger pull respond just as quickly. I could do this. I could take part of the burden from him. I could be the responsible adult and pull my weight. We were twins.

* * *

I couldn't do it.

Shoto had yanked me in to a hug the moment he caught a glimpse of my hair peeking out from behind mother, seeing to have matured beyond his years in the time we'd been apart. He seemed to be just as frail as mother, but there was a hidden strength only I could see. The strength that I could feel within our quirk.

I couldn't take that from him.

"Ne-san! I missed you so much! I missed you so much…" the rest of his words were drowned out by his own sobs, mirrored by yours truly minus the coherent words. I simply clung to him as gently as I could, aware of the slight trembles when my hand brushed over a bruise. It made me sick, and yet somehow, I couldn't find it in me to take his strength.

"I miss you too. We can play and watch T.V. now. Ka-san said she take me sometimes" I promised him, trying to emphasis that I would not leave him. His eye's lightened up at my clumsy declaration, pulling back and dragging me over to the small T.V. our mother had set up.

"Are you going to show her your videos?"

I had almost forgotten about mother in our tearful moment, glancing back at her in confusion while Shoto seemed to glow with happiness as he nodded. Mother smiled, and while it did not reach her eyes, settled down on the cushions and set up the video. Shoto and I immediately occupied her lap, eyes glued to the T.V. as the program started.

It started with an explosion.

I knew this world was different, but somehow this didn't seem entirely child-friendly. I of course wasn't affected by the intensity of the video, but I was surprised how enthusiastic Shoto was. That was when I saw him.

He was HUGE. This beast of a man landed on screen, the ground cracking from the sheer power of his movements. I felt like I could feel his raw power from my spot in our mother's lap, completely overwhelmed by his charisma. I stared in wonder a she let out this insanely loud laugh, seeming to ease away all my worries as he smiled the biggest smile I'd ever seen.

"I'm gonna be like him, Ka-san. I'm going to be a hero" Shoto clenched his fists as he spoke, trembling a bit as he continued his proud declaration.

"And I won't be like him. I won't be like Oto-san. I won't ever be like him Ka-san!" Shoto buried his face in our mother's chest, clutching at her shirt like a lifeline. I looked away from the screen to clutch at my brother as well, our mother trembling a bit as she embraced both of us. Her hands hesitated as they hovered over the red portions of both of our heads, settling in to the white parts after a moment.

That night, when the boiling water dream surfaced once more, I swore I saw mother.

* * *

 **A/N: I figure I should explain the quirk a bit better so nobody is too confused.**

 **The quirk is still half hot, half ice. But with them being twins, the quirk is a little mutated. They SHARE the quirk – it's both of theirs. But it's ONE quirk. Shoto can take both ice and fire and so can Homura. But as its one quirk, if one of them has both the other has none. As for personal taste, Shoto will always be more proficient with the ice and Homura with fire.**

 **As always, reviews pointing out mistakes and suggestions are also welcome! Sorry for the chronological nightmare this chapter was – I added paragraphs in between here and there and it got messy oops. Hope to hear from ya'll soon!**

 **~Instantt**


	3. Shatter

**A/N: So anyways this is a long chapter. Maaaaybe I should have split it, but I don't think you guys will mind right? Haha! This chapter is a lot less confusing too, so I think it'll be an easier read.**

 **Guest #1 – Yeah I thought it was a unique twist on things. If I gave them both the same that would be too op – and if I split the power it'd be too generic. As for the academy, they have a lot of paths to go before that. I haven't decided on what I'll do yet. We'll see!**

 **Guest #2- I think that's the rough translation yeah. It's something like that. That'd be a weird name though "Homura Homura" lolol. As for the water…HMM.**

 **Guest #4 – HMMM.**

 **Guest #3 and In brightest day, since you guys kinda asked the same question I'll explain the quirk here!**

 **If one twin holds both ice and fire, each will only work on one side. Like how canon Shoto is. If they hold one power however, they can use it out of both arms. But their range will be weaker if they split it like that and the ice won't be as strong. It's kind of like they take the power and split it between both sides. Their quirk will develop over the course of the story and you'll see difference ways in how it interacts with them and outside influences. Since they're one in the same, there's a lot of emotional connections in the quirk this time around.**

* * *

It was a slow process; my mother deteriorating sanity that is. Ever since that first night I had been able to see Shoto, her presence in my life seemed to double once more – though Fuyumi and my brothers had still wound up as my primary caretakers. Every few nights she would steal me away in the dead of night, allowing Shoto and I to bond over his various hero videos. It took me a few nights of this to notice her subtle aversion of the red locks both my brother and I sported, her hands only ever threading their way through the white sides. She even seemed to try to avoid my gaze completely, and when Shoto would bounce around too much, she seemed to tilt his left side away from her view. It was odd, but whenever she smiled I felt like I had nothing to worry about. Despite her cold quirk, she was probably the warmest person I could ever know. There was no way something was wrong.

I steeled my resolve daily, ignoring her changes in favor of taking advantage of the short times we had together. Fuyumi, Kaito, and Sora were amazing – but they couldn't compare to my mother or Shoto. With this in mind, I simply laughed as Shoto practically crushed my body under his, the video we had been watching long forgotten as we acted out one of the scenes.

"Ah, I fallen. I give! I give! "I practically shrieked, doing my best to keep my volume low as my brother pinned me down with a grin.

"Aha! The hero always wins! Right Ka-san?" his eyes darted to our mother, who had tensed a bit at my increase in volume but was giggling lightly none the less.

"Of course, though I hope you make sure to help your sister when you can. You might want to give her some breathing room" she suggested gently, Shoto glancing down at her comment before rolling off with a long drawn out sigh.

"Ne-san, do you wanna be a hero too?"

It was a strangely serious question from Shoto with an equally odd expression on his face, confusing both me and mother at the same time. I pushed myself up to a sitting position, pulling my knees to my face as I contemplated his question. I must have looked odd myself, as I soon felt my mother's hand ruffling my hair as I thought about it.

Did I want to be a hero? Shoto and I both knew I could probably do it, but everybody else believed me to be quirkless or at the very least, incapable of having a very strong quirk. In theory, I had the perfect way out to a normal civilian life if I wanted.

"I dunno. I want be with Nii-san always" I finally proclaimed, giggling a bit as my mother ruffled my hair a bit more in response. Shoto beamed, pleased with my answer, and suddenly go to his feet.

"You can be my sidekick then! Heroes have sidekicks that help all the time! We can be a team!" he announced proudly, though I could tell he was still just as unwilling to release our quirk as before. Mother laughed at our antics, suddenly pulling Shoto close to the two of us before we found ourselves amidst a surprise tickle battle.

"Now my little heroes just need to overcome…the tickle monster!" she teased, Shoto and I both shrieking with laughter as we tried to swat her hands away. I found myself rolling out of the way frantically, wheezing from the strain as I tried to recollect my pitiful five-year-old body. Shoto followed suit soon after, nearly rolling on to my face as he giggled and coughed. We stared at each other for a moment before Shoto pulled me in to a tight hug, fully aware of our mother's sudden shifting form. It was always sad to leave, and yet I slipped out of his arms easily.

"I be back soon"

Simple, broken and barely coherent words meant everything to him as tears prickled at his eyes, Shoto only nodding in response as mother picked me up gently. After strangely adjusting my head so my white half rested on her shoulder, she quietly took me away from the room, my eyes glued to the door as we left down the hallway. Shoto peeked out moments later, his eyes slightly red as he frantically waved, my hands instinctively responding in turn.

"Ka-san, when can Nii-san come to?" I mumbled quietly, feeling her tense a bit against me at the question. She simply, and carefully, patted my head as we walked.

"I don't know. I'll keep bring you Homura-chan, don't worry. You'll never be apart. I promise"

I understand exactly what she meant. Yet, for some reason, I felt anxious and nervous. I gripped the fabric of her shirt, burrowing my face in to her shoulder.

"You too Ka-san?"

"Of course, Homura-chan"

For some reason, I couldn't fully believe her.

* * *

"Ne-san, Ne-san"

I tugged at my older sister's pants, startling her a bit as she carried a basket of clothes in to the room. Fuyumi had taken to helping the servants out for the past few months, deciding that she would need to know how to take care of her own house in the future. I admired her for it – I know I wasn't as diligent when I was her age in my previous life. Regardless, I had too many thoughts swirling around in my head, questions that needed answers pounding on my subconscious. Fuyumi just so happened to be in my immediate vicinity, as Kaito and Sora were outside doing whatever boys did in their alone time.

"Ah, Homura-chan. Let me put this down first. Are you hungry?" her automatic worry almost distracted me, but I was a four-year-old with a mission. I did pat my stomach a few times though.

"No Ne-san. Ne-san, when did Ka-san stop see you?"

Maybe that was a bit too blunt, as Fuyumi's usual sunny personality seemed to completely vanish for a moment, a strange shadow flitting across her eyes for a second. She recovered fast from my heavy question, looking away from her laundry and crouching down to my face level. She patted both of my cheeks, squeezing a bit and causing me to squeak.

"Homura-chan, Oka-san is always at home. I see her a lot," Okay, she was definitely trying to change the topic. Two could play at that game.

"I see her too. But, she not around. Before she around more. She gone. Shoto…gone. When come back? When? Nee-san, when?" My bottom lip quivered a bit as I spoke, my heart clenching a bit at the thought of Shoto. I could try to tell myself that I was just an adult worried about my surroundings, but I was a sister who wanted her mother and brother back. As for father…. well, there was something uneasy about him that stripped any possible worry away. I wasn't sure if I wanted him too. It was complicated.

Fuyumi frowned, taken back by my sudden emotional barrage, any thought of finishing the laundry completely gone from her schedule. She seemed to hesitate for a moment before suddenly hoisting me off the ground and in to her arms. I squawked a bit at the sudden movement and held on as though I might fall, suddenly whisked away to our shared bedroom. I squeaked again as I was dropped on the bed and watched my sister shuffle around the room before returning with…. hair supplies?

Oh boy.

A few minutes later found me in the middle of an intense sisterly bonding activity, complete with cheap make up and ribbons of all kinds. I was situated in Fuyumi's lap as she carefully braided my hair, her touch different from my mother's nervous one.

"Homura-chan, you know Kaito-kun and Sora-kun and myself are always here if you need us. I know you miss Oka-san and Shoto-kun," - a quick pause as she tugged at a particular feisty tangle – "but soon you'll be in school too and you'll meet lots of other kids too"

"But want Nii-san. Only need Nii-san" I scowled at her solution. Forgetting about my brother? Please, I still vaguely remember my past family, so if she thought I would forget my current one… she might even mirror father's disappointment levels.

"You need other friends too Homura-chan. Kaito-kun and Sora-kun visit their friends after school a lot and I do too. Don't you want to play with other kids?" Well yeah, meeting other kids with cool quirks? That sounded like fun, but my brother and mother were non-negotiable.

"Yeah, but want to show them to Nii-san too. And Ka-san. Sleep parties...?" I struggled over the word, coming to something I knew wasn't quite right, but emphasized my point regardless. Fuyumi giggled.

"I think the word you're looking for is sleepover Homura-chan. We need to work on your talking more, you silly little duck" Luckily she had finished braided my hair, because my head whipped around so fast I probably would have lost half of it had she been holding on. Instead, she just laughed louder and turned my entire body around in her lap, pinching my cheeks.

"Look at you Homura-chan, you're so cute! Braids suit you. Let me braid it for when you go to school," she grinned, tugging carefully on the thick braid that draped slightly over my shoulder. I tugged a bit at the braid myself, satisfied with its strength and completely distracted from my tumultuous thoughts.

"I do yours too?"

"ummm, maybe not Homura-chan. Come on, let's go back to the living room I have to finish my laundry"

As I followed her back with my own two feet this time, the realization struck me.

Damn, older sisters were _good._

* * *

It was dark, and for a solid second, I thought I had somehow returned once more to that lonely abyss. Fear struck me as I considered the possibility that I was no longer in the world with my brother and mother. It was different this time around; for one I could see my body despite the unending darkness. In fact, I was still the same four-year-old I had been what seemed like hours ago, giving me just a bit of relief. Now the real question was: Where was I?

I didn't stop to ponder the answer for too long, as standing still was not my game plan. Instead I ran forward, shoving through the thick darkness in search of somebody or something that could help. It felt solid almost – as if I was pushing against something rather than running in a large, empty expanse. Yet I still managed to move forward regardless, my thoughts running circles as they tried to figure something out.

The sound of water rushing behind me is what stopped the anxious thoughts, a sharp hint of dread piercing my heart as I looked around to what I knew was coming.

Water seemed to flood from everywhere in waves, crashing down and charging towards me with no mercy. I could see the literal steam from the boiling hot water as it advanced on my position, my scream inaudible as the darkness swallowed it whole. I trembled, backing up a few steps before I gave myself a mental slap and took off running, trying to escape the boiling water as it pursued me. My five-year-old body was weak and small, however, and I found myself swallowed up by the burning liquid.

It was torturous, as every nerve in my body was set ablaze by the intense heat. I struggled against the powerful rapids as they pulled me under, clawing at the liquid around me as I tried to swim upwards. I was knocked around a few more times before everything seemed to settle, and somehow, I did not need air to breathe. Was I even breathing? I couldn't tell nor explain the sensation, but my lungs no longer struggled desperately for life. In fact, the pain subsided and somehow the heat felt comforting in this dark expanse. I floated oddly in the water, able to move my arms around but unable to move forward.

I swiveled around in that odd state for a few more minutes, desperately trying to move, before I saw him. Standing above the water, Shoto looked down at me with dead eyes. No, I couldn't even call them that – that would imply they showed any form of emotion. No, Shoto was completely empty, simply hovering above the water before suddenly falling forward. Panicked, I tried to reach him as he sunk by me, only grasping at the water as he continued to sink down. I tried everything I could think of, my eyes wide with shock as Shoto vanished from view and I as left there by myself.

"No, no no..no..n.. .. Shoto!"

It was those words that knocked me out of my sleep, eyes snapping open in the darkness of my room. I shot up quickly, breathing heavy as I looked around. It was quiet as one would expect of the household in the middle of the night. Something didn't feel right though.

I quietly climbed out of the bed, careful to avoid waking Fuyumi as I crept out in to the dark hallways, looking around nervously. Fragments and images seemed to take a strong grip on my mind, leading me blindly through the hallways as I followed the images.

It wasn't until I turned down a hallway that I heard it. The muttering, followed by...Shoto? Silence. An odd sloshing sound. A scream. Shoto's scream.

Suddenly, nothing mattered anymore as I stumbled down the hallway in fright, searching for the source of my brother's pain. I skidded across the wood before turning down another hall, my eyes widening in shock at the sight of Shoto collapsed on the ground. Puddles of…. liquid littered the floor as Shoto held his hands to his face, panting and trembling hard as he tried to keep the cries down. I looked up quickly, spotting my mother holding a pot. I saw red.

"You..you hurt Shoto…"

"Homura-chan…"

"You…"

I saw fire. I saw a blazing rage boiling within my mind, completely unguarded by what once held it close. All it took was one look at my brother in complete pain for me to grasp the blaze and yank hard. I felt the warmth spread throughout my body instantly, fire blazing out of my arms wild and free. The fire had been nurtured, but not by me, and thus flew freely out of my arms without any restraint. I was in a daze – I couldn't think, could barely breathe, as I rounded on my mother. Suddenly, I wasn't the sweet five-year-old daughter my mother raised. I knew I wasn't five. I was an adult and I was out for blood.

"WhyY..why..why…why..why" The words spilled from my lips like a mantra, switching between English and Japanese freely as my emotions raged like the fire slowly taking over my arms.

I didn't see a mother who had been abused over and over by her husband, her mind torn apart by her need to protect her children and the pain she felt every day. I wouldn't have known anything about that. All I knew was my brother was in total pain, and she had hurt him. I couldn't understand. I wouldn't.

"H-homura-chan…. Homura-chan.." my mother backed away, her eyes wide and unseeing as a different scene unfolded before her instead of what was actually happening. She saw the fires of her husband, his rage and abuse burning up both her and Shoto every single day. She was shattered to pieces, unable to comprehend what was happening as I literally exploded in front of her from fury.

I didn't care. I didn't know. I had to protect Shoto. She was bad. She was bad.

"Never..never again" I snarled, raising my left hand blindly and bringing it down swiftly, a wave of fire bursting out from my arm and flying wildly through the air. I did not lack in power – but I lacked in control. It grazed my mother's arm, who fell to her knees in shock and fear, and continued until it hit the walls. The fire that spread was almost instantaneous and I was dimly aware of the alarm being raised around the household.

I didn't care. I had to stop her. She couldn't hurt him ever again. I wouldn't let her!

It was so hot. So hot and suffocating within my mind and outside my body, the heat slowly rising. It was exhilarating, though I could feel myself growing hazy and delirious as the blaze raged uncontrollably. I couldn't contain the power – I needed help. I was going to burn out from the inside.

Somebody help me. It's too hot. I'm dying. Help me. Help me.

I felt it moments later, as the fire spread around us and incinerated everything it touched, the subtle cold feeling practically being forced down my throat. Unlike the fire that raged and twisted and tried to create chaos, the cold tried to calm me. I felt the ice buildup almost instantly on my right, simultaneously cooling my body while the fire heated my very core. I trembled out of fear, unsure of what was truly going on, and glanced back to find Shoto gripping my leg hard, covering the left side of his face as he stared at me. I knew he was hurt, and yet here he was, trying his best to help me. He was crying, tears flowing down his face as he tried to ignore the pain.

"N.e..-s..an… don't… do…n't hurt…k.a-san. Ple…a..se.." he was practically begging, forcing our cold quirk in to my body in an effort to cool the flames. He didn't need to though.

The sight of my brother begging, crying for me to stop, was enough to dull the flames that had threatened to tear us all asunder. All I could feel was pain, emotional pain for causing my brother so much distress while he was already in physical pain. My mother meant nothing to me at this point as I stumbled back towards him, my back hitting the wood as I shuddered and gasped and tried to contain myself. Shoto whimpered a bit as he moved, but managed to pull himself towards me, curling up on my chest as the two of us shook from everything. My mother had her head in her hands, sobbing loudly in the burning kitchen as people finally began to arrive to the scene, shouting and calling for aid. Shoto and I lay there quietly, our thoughts only on each other as everything seemed to explode around us.

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of our elder siblings down the hall, staring in horror at the chaos before them. I closed my eyes with a shudder, catching a glimpse of my father's form as he stomped down the hall. Though the flames had died within me a while ago, I still felt hot and feverish, my consciousness slipping away as I heard incoherent shouts from my father and my mother sobs. I don't know if Shoto stayed awake as we were moved for medical attention, our bodies unwilling to let go of the other even as we were moved.

Everything shattered.

* * *

"When did your quirk manifest?"

Father looked incredibly cross, but surprisingly aware of the fact that I was tucked in the blankets with a bag of ice over my head to help me cool down. Apparently, overusing our fire quirk tended to leave one excessively overheated, weak and fevered. I might have been worse off if it hadn't been for Shoto, who had been taken to the hospital for his injuries. I had tried to go, but my condition was manageable. Unfortunately, that left me to deal with the full brunt of father's anger.

"…Same as… Nii-san. Same… day" I mumbled through the haze, flinching a bit at the way his eyes narrowed in response.

"And what is your quirk then? A fire release like mine? You were covered in ice. Did Shoto cover you in ice?" I grimaced a bit at the memories, but pressed on diligently.

"No.. no..Nii-san and I… we share. Our… quirk not… his quirk. Our quirk..." I didn't know how to explain it, but father seemed to understand what I was emphasizing. He crossed his hands over his chest as he considered, leaning forward slightly on the stool he had been sitting in. I watched him with bleary eyes, barely keeping myself awake given my condition.

"You share the quirk huh…..interesting. It must be from your relationship as twins" he paused. "Shoto will not be permitted to train while his injury heals. You will be taking his place until he recovers. Then you will both train. You will work harder and longer especially, given the incident earlier"

I resisted the urge to sigh, simply nodding quietly and bundling up tighter. I was glad Shoto was able to get a break at the least – I knew if I had not taken the quirk so forcefully he probably would have not gotten a break at all. I would have to train to catch up to our quirk's progress, considering Shoto had trained longer.

Father exited the room without another word, leaving me to my own thoughts. Well, I assumed I would be alone until footsteps slowly approached my door, revealing Fuyumi, Kaito, and Sora.

"Homura-chan, I'm so sorry! If I had only heard you, then you wouldn't have gotten hurt. Homura-chaan" Fuyumi was borderline hysterical, hugging me close under the blankets. I felt a twinge of guilt, considering she had been tasked to watch me and I had slipped away.

"Hey, at least she manifested an awesome quirk. That was so amazing" Sora exclaimed, only to be knocked over the head by an exasperated Kaito.

"Do you really think this is the time to be gushing over her quirk? She could have hurt herself even more, or worse"

"But she didn't! Face it, I'm a glorified heater and you're a glorified air conditioner. We can't really do much hero work with our quirks. We'll have to settle with…desk jobs…" Sora shuddered dramatically, Kaito cocking an eyebrow while I managed a weak giggle. Fuyumi giggled a little herself too before she brought me closer to her.

"It's…its going to be different now Homura-chan. But I'll be making your breakfast and helping you along the way. You..you might not get to see much of Kaito and Sora though…." I felt the atmosphere grow tenser and gloomy after the acknowledgement, mirroring grimaces appearing on either boy's face. I held back the tears, instead holding out a hand for the both boys. The brothers approached the bed carefully, sitting down beside Fuyumi so I could bring everybody in to a group hug. Well, I made the gesture, and everybody got the hint – same thing!

"Always….always together, Nii-sans and Ne-san," I mumbled quietly, the four of us staying like that for quite some time. Sora eventually wandered off to his room while Fuyumi retired to bed herself. Kaito ended up staying by my side as my mobile air conditioner, helping me cool down from my fever until I finally fell asleep. When I woke up the next morning, I was alone.

* * *

"Get up! Don't you dare cry; Fire latches on to the weak-willed. If you cannot control emotions, you will not control fire"

I wheezed and panted, stumbling backwards on to my butt as I took a full force kick right to the gut. The fire I had conjured did absolutely nothing to help; it was flashy and powerful, but without control it would do nothing for me in close combat. Father had proven this to me countless times, making sure to engrave it in every bone in my body. I couldn't help the tears that rolled down my face, but I did hold back the sniffling and slowly rose back up for more.

It had been two years since the incident and we were seven – just barely starting our classes with our private tutor. True to Fuyumi's prediction – I rarely ever saw Kaito and Sora, though occasionally I would catch glimpses of their hair when following father around the house. Fuyumi had replaced mother in every way possible, and to be honest, I was grateful. Our mother was…...a difficult thought for me and my fire reacted negatively towards it every time. She was the reason for the wedge that had dug its way between Shoto and I – and I did not know how to undo it.

 _Shoto's hands were clenched at his side, his rage powerful even with only one eye ablaze. Father had looked slightly taken back by his outburst, but completely unaffected. He merely sneered at the boy, turning his back on him as if he were nothing._

" _Your mother gave you that scar. She is no good for you, she hurt you. Fuyumi will be an acceptable replacement. Your mother will not be returning"_

 _I stood with my back to the wall, holding on tight to both of our quirks in case Shoto lost it. I had never seen such pure anger on his face before and it unnerved me, allowing me to forcefully withhold our power until I deemed him okay._

" _Why did you do it Ne-san?"_

" _huh?" I blinked, taken back by his question. I didn't understand, though I did flinch when his anger was suddenly turned towards me._

" _You hurt...you hurt Ka-san. You used our quirk on her. You hurt her just like father" it seemed to be hard for him to stay angry, but his determination let him continue with minimal tears. He was trembling, regarding me as something that would blow at any second. I gaped at him for a second, before my eyes narrowed._

" _Ka-san…Ka-san hurt you. She hurt you! I didn't…. I not want her hurt you again! I…. let her know…. I would…...protect you…" I bit out, though I had my own doubts about my actions. My mind had splintered, torn between the strange visions assaulting my mind and the sight of my brother on the ground. I couldn't understand why he was angry at me…he was my twin…he should understand._

" _No, it was father. It's not her fault. I love Ka-san. Even if she did this to me…I love Ka-san! I…I can't forgive you, Homura-chan"_

 _The sudden change in tone startled me, my chest aching at his words. He was my twin. He has said we would be together….and this was no together._

" _Nii-san.."_

" _Shoto…Shoto-kun, Homura-chan. And…give me back our ice. I…I want our ice. But not the fire. I won't ever use the fire" Shoto's eye burned with resolve, and with an aching heart I released the ice, knowing full well that he meant what he said. I even let go of the fire, but he did not even brush against it, leaving it to warm my heart by itself. He gave me one last meaningful look before he walked away, leaving me in the hallway by myself._

I had little time to my thoughts, Father utilizing every second to make sure I knew how to focus, his fire lashing out towards my position. I brought fire down my arms again, doing my best to fight with his, but I was easily overpowered. His fire was controlled, precise and wasted no movements. My fire was strong and powerful, but lacked direction and was incredibly unreliable. It worked better with me, however, then it did Shoto if our frequent spars said anything.

Shoto sat quietly in the corner of the training hall, observing out spar with little reaction. The burn mark across the left side of his face was a silent reminder of what had passed, and though I hoped to resolve our problem, I knew it would not be so simple.

Shoto had withdrawn over the years, pouring all his focus in to the harsh training regime provided by our father. He was extremely talented compared to me, but I knew it was my lack of drive. I wanted to be a hero; but what I really wanted was to be a hero beside Shoto. He wanted to be a hero and despite his aversion to our fire, burned with the resolve to become the top hero without our father's heritage. Father dismissed it as silly rebellion, but I knew better. When Shoto set a goal, he would strive for it no matter the cost.

"What did I tell you? Focus! Focus is important, especially with our destructive quirk. You can't be a hero if you destroy everything around you. Your actions must have meaning; heroes protect whatever they can" father snapped, snagging my unsuspecting arm and slamming me against the nearby wall. I whimpered and rolled to the floor in a coughing heap, nearly vomiting from the rough treatment.

"Let me fight, Oto-san"

Shoto interrupted our spar casually, his eyes solely on father while I gathered up the mess that was my aching body. Ice crept up his arm slowly, his breath slightly visible as the air around him cooled. The atmosphere itself in the room seemed to tense up as the two squared off silently; if not for the situation I might have laughed at the intensity between an adult and a 7-year-old. Instead, I trembled slightly as I slowly rose to my feet, regarding Shoto briefly.

"No, Shoto-kun I can still fight,"

"I can fight as well. Oto-san, let me fight. She can observe. Observing is another training method,"

I scowled slightly and glared at the boy, who seemed to be doing everything within his power to ignore me. Father looked between the two of us, considering.

"Shoto, you may fight me. But you will use fire only"

"No"

"You will use fire against me…or you will spar with your sister instead"

That caught me off-guard. I didn't know if I could seriously fight Shoto, even with our currently strained relationship. Even if he hated me, I couldn't bring myself to try and harm him in any way. He was my twin.

"Fine"

I met his gaze carefully, noting the lack of hesitation as Shoto easily slid in to a stance. I tentatively reached for our ice, prodding at the muted power he held so close to his heart. It was there, and I knew I could easily take it, but I simply checked for any abnormalities. It was active, but passive, and I knew he would not involve his quirk.

Even without his quirk, at this age, he was still a force to be reckoned with. I had caught up during my intensive training, but Shoto was a prodigy – he would always leave me in the dust. All I could do what try to keep up; to not let the distance between us grow too much.

We never waited for a signal – Shoto simply lunged forward with his right fist, easily blocked as I brought my arms up with a small grunt. He wasted no time after his first attack was easily countered, bringing his other fist in to the fray and forcing me to react defensively. He got in a few bruising attacks on my arms before I finally retaliated, leaning back during one of his swings and lashing out towards his arm with my hand, yanking him forward to upset his balance.

Shoto stumbled forward a bit grimacing slightly but recovering quickly as he narrowly dodged my own fist as I swing at his face. He retreated a few feet away before I could get another opening, his eyes narrowed as he put a healthy distance between us. I eyed him warily, my passiveness showing as I waited with bated breath for his next move. I could feel our father's disappointment burning a hole in the back of my head, but I paid him no heed. I simply couldn't instinctively attack my brother no matter the situation.

Shoto had no such qualms, however, and ran forward, my arms brought up quickly as I assumed he would start swinging again. Only, he didn't. Shoto shot past me easily, and in my confusion, I could only glance back as he swung his foot around in to my back and sent me toppling forward. I shrieked just a bit, using my hands to catch myself and do a quick frontal flip forward to land on me feet roughly. I felt the surge of power from our ice quirk just in time, darting to the left quickly to avoid the sudden surge of ice.

"I thought we weren't using our quirk Shoto-kun!" I called out, met with only silence as I was forced once again in to a retreating stance. The ice followed my diligently, leaving me no time to catch my breath as I practically ran circles around the room. I quickly tugged on the fire, flames licking up my arms rapidly as I punched forwards toward the approaching ice wall. Fire shot out weakly from my fist, but it mattered not – fire trumped ice and soon the wall was blasted back from me.

I swiveled around quickly, aiming another weak shot towards Shoto just as he lunged towards me quickly, encasing his arm in ice and aiming right towards my flaming fist. It was odd and not the smartest, but I didn't stop to think about his tactic as I brought my own flaming fist forward.

Except, for some reason, my movements stopped completely. I had a second to glace down and notice the ice encasing my feet before a fist of solid ice burrowed in to my stomach. My eyes widened, and my flames began to react negatively, ready to spit fire just about everywhere until father grasped my arms firmly. The fire died down under his touch and I found myself stumbling back in defeat, Shoto quietly released the ice around my feet as I fell on my rear.

"Your technique is sloppy and your awareness lacking. Fighting is not just with yours fists – you need to rely on your quirk more. Shoto clearly outmatched you from the start. Maybe I've been too easy on you"

I winced a bit at the harsh tone, looking down dejectedly. Father released his bruising grip on my arm, letting it fall back to my body as I began to rub it carefully. My hand was pushed aside, however, by a cooler one and I looked up to see Shoto kneeling, a thin layer of ice encasing his hand as he gently held my arm. Father eyed the boy carefully, snorting a bit.

"And you Shoto – don't you dare hold back on your sister. She will learn through pain if need be. You should have easily overpowered her lack of talent"

"Fire beats ice. I have to be careful"

"Her fire is weak – I can feel it whenever I have to suppress her lack of control. I expect you to change this behavior before tomorrow's session. Don't make me repeat myself" Father nearly snapped, keeping his tone level as he left the training hall for the evening.

I observed the exchange quietly, not daring to make my presence known. Fall all I knew, father would change his mind about ending the session here and force me to train longer. I knew I needed it, but damn I was tired. Shoto released my arm carefully, seeming to avoid my gaze as he backed up and walked away. He seemed to hesitate for a moment, his hands clenching at his sides before he carefully looked back at me.

"I can help you. Control your quirk. They're…they feel similar almost" I could hear the strain in his tone as he tried to keep it level; tried to keep the emotion from flooding through. He was trying to keep my pushed back away from him, but I could feel the way the ice pulsed within his quirk. No matter how hard he tried, he simply couldn't just stop caring. He cared too much. I wanted to reach out to him and break the metaphorical ice he surrounded himself with, but I didn't know how. I didn't know how without burning us both.

"I…you don't know anything about the fire. You won't use it. It's not like your ice…I don't think you can help me Shoto"

He flinched at my rejection, but he accepted my logic without another word. He simply nodded curtly before walking out of the room.

I didn't know if I made the right choice, but I knew I was right about our fire. My fire I suppose, since he refused to even touch it. It was wild and chaotic and for all I knew, the same thing that happened that night would happen once more. Mother's attack on him had left his left side burned and scared with simple water – who knew what I would burn with true fire.

I was lost.

* * *

 **A/N: My longest chapter yet! Not sure if it could be considered long, but I think it was a good read. I redid different scenes multiple times to be honest. Hopefully it came out nice in the end!**

 **As always – leave me reviews and critiques if you can! I love to respond to them and adjust things if need be. I'm always taking criticism as well – just try not to flame!**

 **Thank you for reading!**


	4. Resolve

**A/N: hahaha you guys are so cruel. Poor Homura-chan lol! I don't want to change Shoto from what he is in the manga – I kind of like his personality and now…I think there's a little more depth to him with everything that's happened. I don't know how I plan to fix everything, but I do know how to break things. Lolol.**

 **In the Brightest Day – I know. But considering their family situation, I think it made more sense for them to end up this way. It's reeeeally complicated**

 **Guest #1: I think we all know how I feel about drama – that little angst tag lol**

 **Kirika o7 – oooh, if you do link me? I'd love to read it 3 As for her reaction….she was separated from Shoto and her mother for a while. She wouldn't notice the bruises like Shoto would, since he saw it happening. I don't want Homura to magically fix everything…that's boring and predictable. She's more or less…. tearing things wider. Making things deeper and, in some cases, worse. I don't think Midoriya really needs a twin to knock some sense in to Shoto though, eh? Lolol. And my English is fine actually – Homura's speaking was broken because she was learning a second language. Her first in English and it makes it harder to pick up Japanese. She improved and got used to it after a few years though!**

 **Guest # 2 – Thank you 3**

 **Guest #3 – I've considered villains…..but I don't know how to work that in just yet. I don't know if I want them to solve their issues before U.A. either. I don't want to take too much away from Izuku and Shoto's drama. We'll see ~**

 **Also, I figured I'd give a little bit of info on the brother's quirks. I explain it a bit below, but I'll explain it here too. If we ever get names and info on them though, I think I'll keep them like this still anyways.**

 **Sora – Soothing Flames; He radiates heat, and occasionally minor flames, form his body that affect the emotional state of a person. His heat warms them and makes them happier; but it doesn't work on the unwilling. If they don't want to feel good, he'll burn them instead by mistake. He requires touch to make it work, and the more of his body touching them, the stronger his quirk.**

 **Kaito – Calming Ice. Pretty much the opposite of Sora. He radiates cool air, and occasionally ice, that affects a person's emotional state. He can calm a person, but if he gets too cold or touches them for too long, can negate any feelings all together and send a person in to a really dangerous emotional state. He can keep a person's emotions frozen for up to five minutes at any given time. This allows them to think logically rather than with emotions. You can tell his quirk is active with ice bit she leaves behind on them.**

* * *

My past life was like a fog inside my mind, shrouding everything but leaving it visible just enough for me to attempt to make sense of it. I had spent years living this new life, and yet my old self had only knocked at the door once. Granted, it was violently and traumatizing, but I could still see the attempts to help me within. It was strange, but I felt as though I should have known what mother was planning. My subconscious had been trying to show me, and though it could not literally tell me, it found other ways to force its thoughts down my throat. My adult knowledge had not been able to help me so far, but if I could decipher the visions, I might be able to prevent what my subconscious dreaded in the future.

During one of the rare chances that our father was too occupied with work to trust us, I sat quietly in the training hall. I wasn't alone, but I may as well have been considering Shoto's obvious intention of ignoring me. Two could play at that game, I thought rather childishly as I kept to myself in the corner, a safe distance away from where he was training with our ice quirk.

I had heard from Fuyumi that there were monks that preformed some sort of meditation to enter a state of peace – something I was trying to do to make sense of the shattered remains of my subconscious. I probably looked like I was just sleeping, but without father here, I knew I would be left alone to my thoughts for a little.

 _Green hair. Innocent. Pure. Explosions. Anger. Help._

Not…...very helpful. In fact, I knew absolutely nobody with green hair. I didn't even know anybody outside of my family!

That…was a depressing thought. Our father was so determined to mold us in to super prodigies that I had never really left the household before. I wasn't sure what would happen to me, but I knew I had to try and sneak out at some point. My subconscious apparently thought that a boy with green hair was important – so I might as well try to find him. I knew what happened when I didn't act on my last visions, and while this didn't seem to help Shoto, I could at least try to answer my past life's whims.

"Homura-chan"

I blinked, slightly disorientating from the vision I had seen, glancing in to the mismatched eyes of my twin. I was so surprised by his sudden interest in me that I probably sat there gaping like an idiot for way too long before I recomposed myself. My expression grew wary, unsure of what to make of him. His eyes were somewhat dulled and expressionless, but I knew better than anybody when my twin was uneasy. His hands were twitching slightly by his side, as though he was restraining himself. I wasn't sure if I should be upset or not. I tried diplomacy first.

"What do you want...Shoto-kun?" I kept the hurt and anger out of my tone, though I knew he could see right through me if he reached for the fire. Not that he ever would.

"Train with me" I stared at him.

"Why? Oto-san isn't here"

He quirked an eyebrow. "Oto-san being gone doesn't mean we can't train. I…I need help. Nobody else can help me…" his voice trailed off somewhat uneasily, and while I might have once felt guilty, I only felt indignant.

"Why should I?"

He flinched slightly, bur stared down at me regardless. "Because we…we share our quirk. We're…. we have the same power"

Quirk. Power. He had once accused me of being like our father, yet here he stood before me, talking to me only because of our quirk. I knew he was just a kid. Traumatized and in need of help, but I couldn't stop the blazing anger from wanting to burst out from me.

"That's not right. That's not the answer I want, Shoto-kun" I bit out, tears threatening to burst as I tried to keep my emotions steady. Breath in. Breath out. Shoto stepped back a bit as he expected flames, but all I did was simply stand up slowly. I held on tightly to the fire, not giving it a chance to go anywhere. I caught site of ice forming in the palm of his hand, as if he was expecting to have to cool me down, but I could do this. Control. Restrain. Control it. Don't let it control you.

"Ask me again later when you figure it out, Shoto-kun," I finally spoke after a moment, brushing past the seven-year-old without another word. It was suddenly too stuffy in the house and I found myself wandering outside despite my house restrictions.

I eventually settled down in the grass, in plain sight but too bothered to care. I wasn't a child and yet…. I couldn't stop myself from acting on my emotions. I knew I was expecting more from him than he could possibly give. He was only a child. His mother had hurt him, his father had hurt him…. I had hurt him. How could I expect him to just get over it after all that?

I couldn't tell you. I couldn't tell myself. All I could do was sit in the middle of the courtyard and cry, uncaring of whoever saw me. I was only vaguely aware of the footsteps approaching until I felt a hand on my arm, causing me to look up slowly.

Sora.

God, how long had it been since I had seen my brother? He still looked the same, his red hair growing only wilder and longer in the years. He had a school bag slung over his shoulder and his expression was unreadable, but I knew it to be too foreign for my silly, mischievous brother. It was…wrong to see him so serious. The years had changed him. They changed us all. We were only kids, and yet I felt like we were all adults.

"Homura-chan, Homura-chan, what's wrong? What happened? "Sora pulled me closer to him in to a gentle embrace, giving me a view of Kaito running up a ways away. At least the serious worry seemed normal on him.

I simply shook my head, unable to express my jumbled thoughts in words. I just clung to my brother – the brother who didn't seem to hate me. I felt the warmth of his quirk envelop me and suddenly we were moving across the courtyard, my body held up close to his chest. I could hear Kaito following behind us as we headed for the household – their part of the house.

Shoto and I had been transferred to a blocked off section of the house, Shoto when he displayed our quirks and I when I basically lost my mind. Kaito, Sora, and Fuyumi were in the more public part of the household in the front with Fuyumi being the only one of three allowed to come to the back to help take care of us.

It didn't look much different from where Shoto and I were kept, yet it felt homier. It felt alive and free; it felt like home.

"should we really be taking her back here? If he finds out…"

"We can't take her back there. Besides, he's on a trip remember? He won't be here for a few days. Besides…I…...I missed Homura-chan." he smiled a bit as he looked down at my still form, and I couldn't help but smile back. It could have been from his quirk, but I felt happy and safe. I felt warm.

"Well if we're bringing her here, we better get the good stuff. Before Fuyumi comes and gets us for kidnapping" Kaito smirked slightly, Sora snorting and following behind as Kaito sauntered in to their kitchen. It looked just like our kitchen we ate from, except for various knick-knacks that gave this place personality. A poster caught my eye and I reached for it slowly, catching both boys' attention.

"Ah? I'm surprised you would like HIM of all…considering..." Sora grimaced, laughing a bit awkwardly.

"Just because HE hates him, doesn't mean she has to hate him. You like All Might Homura-chan?" Kaito cocked an eyebrow, glancing at the poster.

"Yeah…Shoto-kun…he wants to be like him…" I mumbled, a little disappointed Sora set me down and the warmth left. I frowned a bit and Sora smiled apologetically.

"Ah, sorry Homura-chan. You've grown a bit and my quirk is limited to people in my arms. You can sit in my lap while we watch T.V., yeah?" I simply nodded, still staring at the All Might poster on the wall. If father had ever saw that, he would be furious. The boys were smart though; they knew he didn't care to check up on them here. They may have lacked powerful quirks or a parent's love, but they had freedom.

"Your quirk?" Sora nodded, pleased with my interest.

"Yes! I can generate a special kind of heat. It warms the heart of others and makes them feel better. Not good for a hero, but that's what life gave me eh? Actually…. I'd like to be a therapist one day," He grinned, running his hand through his hair as he spoke enthusiastically. I wondered if I was the first in the family to show interest in his quirk. No, I knew Kaito had as well, but maybe it felt nice to have somebody other than him show attention.

"I don't know…hugging random kids might feel weird don't you think Sora-kun?"

"Hey, don't underestimate the power of a hug! Besides your quirk works the same, doesn't it?" Kaito scowled a bit, though he sighed reluctantly after noticing my attention on him.

"Homura-chan…mine Is basically…the opposite. I generate cold…I calm people, bring down their excitement. Bring them down in general…" he seemed uneasy talking about it, as though he were ashamed. I could tell what he meant – his quirk could make people feel bad instead of calm if he got too cold. I walked over to him and took his arm, tugging on it insistently.

"Show me"

He cocked an eyebrow, his uneasiness increasing as he backed away slowly.

"No..Homura-chan..my cold won't feel good. Especially with your quirk…"

"I want to feel it. Please, Nii-san?" I gave him the best babydoll eyes I could muster, and to my muted delight, he conceded and pulled me up in to his arms.

It was freezing. I could feel my ability to…well feel anything being to evaporate. I was calm, yet I was empty. It was an odd quirk, but it wasn't useless. I wasn't bad. He wasn't bad. I hugged him tighter, using actions instead of words to let him know how I felt.

Then I had a thought.

"Nii-san….can you…can you hug Shoto-kun too?" I glanced over at Sora, letting go of Kaito carefully. Both boys blinked, confused by my sudden turn of thoughts.

"…Shoto-kun..? Is that why you were…?" I frowned, ignoring the bubbling hurt that threatened to overflow at the thought of my brother. I didn't want to think of our fight. I wanted to help him.

"Can you hug him too? He'll feel better…I know he will…" Sora frowned at my insistence, walking over to where I stood and kneeling down.

"Homura-chan…I don't think he'd want me to touch him…I haven't seen him in a while, but I know…. He hates fire. And, I think…you two need to work this out on your own..."

"You can make him feel happy! You can make him talk to me!"

Kaito and Sora exchanged meaningful looks, looks that I couldn't understand.

"Homura-chan…if he fights my quirk…he could get hurt. I can't help people who don't want to be helped. Neither of us can"

That wasn't fair. We had all these abilities…. but we couldn't make things happen. Shoto…. he just needed to see…he needed to feel!

"If we force our abilities on someone, it doesn't last forever. It's only why they hold us. And when we let go, what do you think they'll feel? Do you think they'd be happy we cored them to be happy?" Kaito had always been the logical of the brothers, his arms folded across his chest.

"But..I only need a moment. I just need a moment. Not forever" I argued, understanding them but at the same time unwilling to accept it. Well, I could accept it, but I only needed Shoto to listen. I couldn't make him feel, but I could make him listen.

"If he listens to me…. just listens…maybe he'll understand. I just need to get to him…" I whimpered, the tears settling in as I let myself give way. Sora and Kaito looked panicked and within seconds I felt that familiar warmth spreading through to me.

"…Father will be gone for a few days…. Homura-chan, if you can get him over here…and get him to want us to help, then we'll help. But he must want help. You understand me, right?" Sora spoke firmly, holding me close to his body. I nodded, feeling the tension in Sora weaken just a bit.

"I think…we should turn on that T.V. now though. Watch something good before we all get a lecture from Fuyumi" Kaito interrupted, Sora snorting. I couldn't suppress the giggle as the three of us headed for their living room.

I had never been good with words. Even without the language barrier, I always had trouble explaining what I meant. Often, I was misunderstood and looked like a complete jerk. I had grown accustomed to explaining myself through action, and that certainly did not change here.

* * *

"Shoto-kun"

Our eyes met, the two of us run ragged from our spar. Since my outburst, he had refrained from speaking to me, so I had requested the spar myself. He couldn't hide his surprise, but evaded words through a simple nod. If he weren't a kid, I might have called him something real vulgar.

I had given him a run for his money today, taking my time dodging and using advantages when I could. When he brought out our ice, I brought out my fire with equal intensity. I found my control had strengthened considerably ever since Kaito's hug – I could slide in to that empty state a little easier. I was still unpredictable and rash with my fire, but I could aim better. With my obvious slacking with father gone, Shoto hadn't expected it.

"If I win…will you let Sora-kun hug you?"

A blank stare is what I got in return. I scowled a bit, knowing full well I hadn't explained anything.

"I mean…if Sora-kun hugs you, you'll feel better. You'll listen…and then you'll understand..." I emphasized the last part, Shoto suddenly looking annoyed. It looked unnatural on him, considering my memories of his smile. He seemed to weigh his options, his chances of beating me, and the likely hood that I would go all out whether he accepted or not.

"...Fine…but nothing will change…Homura-chan..." I simply nodded in response, accepting what I could get. Maybe it wasn't exactly what Sora said…. but close enough?

This time, I started the fight, lashing out with a kick before he had a chance to twitch. He dodged my kick easily, but I could tell he was unnerved by my sudden determination. I could feel it within our quirk; he had assumed I was bluffing. Or maybe he had hoped I was, but I had little time to dwell on it. I had to win this.

I kept myself close, hoping to win this without taking out our fire. I brought my fist forward in to his stomach, ignoring his small whimper, and shoved forward with all my might. His hand lashed forward and grabbed my wrist, yanking me forward and sending me stumbling, shoving his foot in my back to send me to the floor. I fell to my knees and immediately rolled out of the way of his next kick, retreating a bit to gain my footing.

I dodged once more when I felt the cold creep up on my feet, unwilling to fall for that same trick. I could pull out our fire, but that was excessively dangerous. Father wasn't here to calm my fire, and one wrong move could send this whole house ablaze.

"Shoto...don't use our ice. I can't use the fire…we could do something really bad…" I cautioned, surprised when I noticed his expression. I knew he was hurting, but to see it visibly expressed…. something was off.

"…don't call it our ice. It's my ice. You only use his fire…. it's not your ice…" he mumbled, ignoring my words and bringing up a medium-sized ice wall flying towards me. I stumbled a bit as I dodged the incoming ice, reaching inside and pulling on the ice as hard as I could. I couldn't use my fire – it was too dangerous. I could, however, hoard our power for the moment to make him stop.

The connection lasted only a second, but I felt everything.

 _Hurt. Anger. Shame. Determination. Protect. Revenge. Spite. Despair._

We were seven. It was hard to believe such complex thoughts could exist inside a child so young, but we were so damaged. I pulled it all towards me, locking it away in to my core as the ice fell apart without someone so sustain it. Shoto's eyes were wide, his expression a mix between despair and anger. I could feel him trying to tear through me, to take back what I stole, but I held it tightly to me. Suddenly, our fight had dissolved in to chaos.

"Give it back! Give her back!" Shoto lunged at me, and suddenly, we were on the ground wrestling both physically and mentally. There was a desperation to his movements now, no longer the controlled and efficient fighter he had been earlier. His fist connected with my nose and I felt droplets of blood sliding down as I tried to break free; tried to kick him off. I caught his next fist, grunting a bit as I flung us both over in an attempt to gain control.

"Shoto-kun, Shoto-kun stop it! We're done, you win!" I practically pleaded with him – I didn't want to see my brother like this. I grabbed both of his wrists and held them done, trying to force him to concede. He struggled against my grip, thrashing wildly underneath.

"I'll give it back if you stop!"

Our eyes locked briefly, and he seemed to sag underneath me, accepting my offer warily. I was dimly aware that we were both trembling, from both physical and mental exhaustion.

I couldn't take him to Sora – that wouldn't end well at all. We would have to solve this on our own, but I didn't know if we could. Did he even want to make up with me? All I knew was that once I released the ice back to him, he calmed down considerably. I carefully clambered off him, letting myself hit the ground beside him while I caught my breath. The pain from the repeated hits to my face was finally noticeable, the adrenaline and panic earlier muting it temporarily. I touched my face gently, wincing and marveling at the red on my fingers. I glanced over at my left and saw Shoto staring at me intently, as if waiting for me to speak.

"Why do you hate me Shoto-kun?" he flinched at the bluntness, but I was tired of playing around. If he was able to practically break my nose over our power, then he should be able to handle the hard questions. It was too late to try to sugar coat anything.

"I…I don't hate you. I…." he seemed to struggle, and that infuriated me.

"Tell me. I want to know. We're twins, aren't we?" He seemed to curl up slightly at this, glancing away.

"..We are...I don't want to talk about it…" Unacceptable. I reached out and took his hand gently but firmly, pulling him closer to me.

"You have to. This isn't going to get better Nii-san. What's wrong? Why don't you want me?"

He gripped my hand hard at my observation, and I could tell my accusations were wrong. It was so much more complicated than that. It always was.

"No, no! I want you. I miss everything…but..you hurt Ka-san. She…she didn't deserve that…and you're so good at the fire…."

"Good? I'm terrible with it. It's really hard to use"

He laughed a bit at that, sniffling a little as we entangled our hands together softly. It was a momentarily distraction, but it was taken gratefully.

"You think I'm gonna be like Oto-san"

His silence confirmed it and hurt me slightly. At the same time, it was sort of bewildering. I mean, I knew I looked like him more than mother, but I would never turn in to someone like him. I didn't know how to make him understand. I wasn't sure if he would, but if he didn't, we would never get better.

"I'm not…it's our quirk Nii-san…I won't make you use the fire…but somebody has to. Let me hold it for us…let me stay close. Please?"

He seemed to consider. I let him think quietly, simply fiddling with our fingers as he remained still for a moment.

"No"

I stared at him hard, my grip tightening considerably.

"Nii-san-!"

"Wait, Homura-chan wait! I…I know you're my twin. We're always gonna be twins…but I'm going to be a hero. Not like Oto-san…like All might. And I'm going to protect you…but I have to leave you behind to be a hero"

This child…my brother…I could feel my veins pulsing as I sat up angrily. I kept the fire tight, not letting it take advantage of my emotions.

"You don't have to leave me behind! We can be together! We're stronger together! It's our quirk – not yours, not mine! You…you have to stop being like Oto-san!"

There, I said it. I knew I struck a chord, but that was the only way. I had to make him understand, even if I drove a knife through his heart in the process. He withdrew his hand as though he had been burned, clutching it close to him.

"I'm not like Oto-san!" he shouted, scooting a few feet away from me as he turned my words in his head over and over. I didn't relent.

"You will be, if you keep pushing me away! Oto-san is alone, he pushed Ka-san away. So, if you push me away, then you're just like him!" I lashed out, carefully standing up and walking over to him.

"I won't let you leave me behind, even if I have to be better than you. And I won't let you forget this"

Then, I punched him.

He reeled back as I repaid the damage from early, holding his hands to his face as I wiped my own tears. Funny, I hadn't even noticed I was crying until I relaxed a bit.

"I'm going to be the number one hero, just to make sure you can't leave me behind. Even if you hate me for it"

In the seven years since I'd been here, hell even during my entire past life, I had never felt so strongly about something. I knew he knew it too – the way his eyes narrowed slightly as he wiped the blood from his face. He knew I would oppose him every step of the way instead of being the supportive sister and it hurt him in every which way. I couldn't let him isolate himself, however, so my only option was to hurt him.

I couldn't help us. He didn't want it. I couldn't force that even with Sora's quirk. I would adjust and endure, doing whatever I could to keep us from straying too far.

I remembered green hair, and for some reason I knew, everything would be okay.

Eventually.

* * *

We were ten years old and I was slipping.

Literally.

I was never one for balance, and with the ice forming beneath my feet, I was literally unable to stay on my feet. There was a way, I knew, to manipulate the ice to not constantly trip me up, but I was new to this part of our quirk. It resonated differently with me than fire – instead of emotion, it was all above resolve. You had to know what you wanted and how to do it, or else it would fail.

The problem with the ice was that it felt abnormal; it didn't quite sync up as well with me as the fire did. Maybe it was because I was an emotional person? Regardless, I needed to know at least the basics of the ice if I wanted to be the top hero. If I could use both of them decently, I would always have an advantage.

"What did I tell you about daydreaming, Homura?"

I brought a weak ice wall up between father's fist and I, ducking back as his flaming first broke easily through the flimsy ice. I knew he would break through, but it put up enough resistance to support my dodge. I slid backwards on the ice I was consistently forming, slipping a bit but able to keep my balance. Father was instantly in my personal space once more, swinging his arm around to knock me aside, kept at bay by my consistent ice walls. I wasn't a particularly aggressive fighter with the ice, but I could work with it.

"Never let your eyes wander. Never let them get the upper hand. Never let them surpass you, Oto-san" I parroted in response, running back a bit to avoid another burst of flames.

"And yet, you're always one step behind. Your brother could easily keep me at bay and get a few attacks in Homura. Even with your flames, you're weaker. Why are you weaker? You are twins, no? You share a power" I flinched a bit at the truth, but didn't let him goad me in to losing my focus.

The truth was, my ice was weaker because of the fire within me. He assumed Shoto and I had switched powers like he asked, but Shoto would not even touch the fire. I didn't know if he did it because the fire was repulsive, or because of the disadvantage it gave me. Father could not know I still had the fire, and Shoto knew this. He knew I wouldn't give him up for the sake of surpassing him. He was my twin and I wouldn't give him up, even if he did so to me.

I brought another ice wall up quickly, pouring all I had in to It as despite how fruitless it would be. Father was smarter, quicker, and more powerful than I would be at this point. With my ice weakened by fire's proximity, the wall was simply shattered, and I took a face full of flame directly, shrieking a bit at the sudden pain. I stumbled back a bit, trembling a bit as my father's blaze died down.

"I…it's harder with the ice. It doesn't feel as right…" I admitted. It wasn't a lie, but it hid the truth of the situation. I was tempted to glare at Shoto, my brother sitting quietly on the edge as he waited for his turn, but I resisted the urge.

"And yet your brother mastered it faster than you did with your fire. You're lucky your brother is going through a rebellious phase. But he will learn" father's eyes flickered over to my silent twin, Shoto's eyes staring daggers at a wall as he avoided eye contact.

"You know your destiny. But you're weaker than him. Go, I will train Shoto without an audience"

I nodded, hiding my enthusiasm as I left the training hall. I felt Shoto's eyes on me, but I ignored him – this was how it had to be.

I had recently learned that I would not be with a tutor my entire schooling – high school was apparently the equivalent of college almost here. Depending on what you wanted to do, you applied to different high schools and took exams. I wanted to be a hero; so naturally, I was being trained and educated for the top school in Japan. The problem was, while both Shoto and I could attend, only one of us would be considered for a scholarship of sorts.

U.A. considered only three students for recommendations each year, and while it was technically possibly both Shoto and I could get recommended, Father would only allow one of us. The other twin would have to prove themselves in the actual entrance exam. I excelled in the academics' portion, as my adult brain finally made itself useful, while Shoto's combat effectiveness surpassed me in every which way. I wasn't necessarily bad per say, but my instinct to not hurt my brother hindering my progress. Shoto was either ignoring that, or taking my words to heart. Only one of us could be the top hero and we would fight and claw our way to the top by whatever means necessary.

I wandered out in to the living room after fishing out my schoolwork, making myself comfortable at the table near the large windows. I glanced out occasionally, sometimes expecting Sora and Kaito to burst out of their part of the household suddenly. It was a stupid thought, considering my brothers had both left for boarding schools as soon as they could. Father seemed more than willing to fund their school choices, though he kept Fuyumi here for Shoto and I. My elder sister was currently out, leaving me to my own devices while Shoto and father squared off below. I felt my brother's prodding at the ice, and while I tempted to ignore him out of spite, I relented and allowed the ice to flow back.

With all our quirk training, it was strange to imagine myself doing normal schoolwork like any other student. Most of it, besides the Japanese, was a breeze for me and thus always at the back of my mind. Yet here I was, doing tedious math homework to ensure my U.A. entrance in the future would not be hindered by my lack of knowledge.

"Ah, Homura-chan, you're done for the day?"

I glanced up at Fuyumi as she entered the room, a small stack of papers in her hand that I was assumed was her own schoolwork.

"For now, I think? Shoto-kun is training with Oto-san"

"And I bet he's still refusing to use your fire?"

"It's like you know him, Ne-san"

Fuyumi giggled, patting the top of my head as she settled down beside me. I smiled, pleased with her attention.

"It's like I've been taking care of you two for years. Strange, isn't it?"

It was meant to be a joke, but memories of mother surfaced, and I found myself wincing a little. Fuyumi was quick to catch on and grimaced a little, gracefully changing the subject. I allowed it.

"I heard you were going to apply for U.A. when you're older Homura-chan" I grinned, rubbing the back of my head.

"Ah, hopefully. My tutor says I'm real smart, but Oto-san says I'm really bad at fighting and using our quirk. I can't be a hero if I can't master my quirk" I admitted, feeling a bit awkward considering Fuyumi's quirkless state. I had always wondered if it bothered her being the only one, but she seemed so strong. People liked to say it was our quirks that made us strong, but I liked to think it was the quirkless who were more so. They lived side by side people who could do practically anything, and still woke up every day with a smile. I could admire that.

"You know Homura-chan…...I think if you and Shoto both want to get stronger, I think…. you both have to work together. With your quirk and yourselves" I sighed at the obvious answer, nodding thoughtfully. I knew what we had to do, but Shoto was so stubborn.

"I figured…but Shoto-kun…He's…" I didn't really know how to explain the situation, but luckily Fuyumi got the hint.

"I think I get it Homura-chan. But you know, sometimes relationships aren't always 50/50. Sometimes it's 75/25, 80/20… you get the idea. Sometimes you need to support them more than they do you. Have you considered?" Fuyumi glanced down at her work, scribbling something on the paper before turning her attention back to me. I snorted.

"That doesn't seem fair. Sora-kun told me that I can't force help on someone unwilling. Said it makes it worse…I think it did…" I thought about that day and twitched, focusing on keeping my breathing even. Yeah, I had messed it up, but it wasn't all my fault. We were both at fault.

"He's right….I think you both need to grow up a little more….maybe it'll get better then"

"I think I'm really grown up Ne-san"

"And yet you're still so small"

"Ne-san!"

Fuyumi laughed at my scowl, ruffling my hair before turning her focus back to a particularly hard problem. I let her return to her work, quietly working on my own as we sat there in a comfortable silence. I paid no attention to Shoto when he eventually stumbled by, turning down a hall without a second glance at either of us. I let him.

* * *

 **A/N: DRAMA. DRAMA. DRAMA.**

 **I love it. Let's make things worse than better, yeah? I know I timeskip a lot, but I don't want to spend twenty chapters of them at seven either. There's not too much to write about in between beyond these big moments.**

 **Thank you for all reviews and comments – I appreciate them! I miiight make some opportunities for a few OCs form other people at some point depending on how I take the story…idk lol.**


	5. Reality

**A/N: Shorter chapter than the last two – had a harder time with this one! I think this might be the final chapter before we do a huge skip to canon-time…maybe.? The way Shoto and Homura are right now….they won't interact unless forced and that's basically what U.A.'ll do to them. Besides, I can't think of any more really life changing events to dedicate a whole chapter to. I might consider something else…but for now I think this'll be it. Next chapter should be a lot closer to current canon!**

 **In the brightest day – I'm gonna make that boy so busy lololol**

 **Guest #1 – Yeah, I'm excited for canon myself. I needed these introduction backstory chapters though! I think this'll be it till canonish.**

 **Guest #2- haha DRAMA. Love it**

 **HaPPy2901 – It is! And kinda I guess? But its limited to their quirk only and only between them! It hasn't been built up over generations like all for one as well. I think between the two….it might be more similar to one for all tbh!**

 **Omg I was thinking about that the other day! I don't know yet…I'm kinda a big OchakoxIzuku fan lololol. I was considering maybe giving her an interest…but right now its undecided.**

 **Anyways, I'd really like opinions on this! Sorry for the obnoxious font size, but I'm a bit torn on what I want to do.**

 **Should I go ahead and do the six year timeskip to canon) the twins are 10 now) or do you want a little more before then? I don't really have much for the in between during those six years…. nothing that can't be quickly explained in a paragraph etc.**

* * *

I'm an idiot. I'm an idiot. I'm an idiot.

There was no other way to explain my situation as I ran through the streets, adrenaline and desperation shoving aside any exhaustion or pain I might have felt. I could hear their footsteps behind me, their desperation to catch me equal to my desire to get the hell out of here. My ten-year-old body made the idea of me getting away safely laughable, and if I used our quirk, I was likely to completely lose control given how haywire my emotions were.

It had been sheer ignorance on my part – I knew who my father was. I knew how famous he was and how powerful he was, along with how many villains would do anything to get at him. To make the number two hero of Japan bow before them? That would set a villain up for a while that was for sure.

Where did that leave me? I was bait, a ransom worth more than any random civilians or 'natural' disaster. I had never considered the dangers of sneaking outside of our house, but now? You could be damned sure I would eagerly hole up in my room until it was time for high school.

"Don't let her get away! Use your quirks! The noise is worth the prize"

"How much do you think we'll get for her?"

"How much do you think she'd sell for?"

I had to clamp down on the urge to whip around and yell something particularly obscene, knowing that slowing down even slightly would be the end of my short little existence. I reached out for our ice on a whim, but with my distance from Shoto, I was unable to even touch it. I was lucky I always had the fire, though using it would be a last resort type of scenario. And that…. was becoming increasing more likely as they started to cover the distance between us.

I lunged outside of the alleyway our chase had begun in, dimly aware of the presence in front of me before I found myself crashing in to another person. We both let out pained screeches and toppled to the ground, my panic rising as I realized my mistake. I glanced over frantically at the boy I ran in to, my subconscious suddenly roaring to life at the sight.

Green hair. Innocent eyes.

Between the trembling of my mind and the fear of my pursuers, it was hard to make sense of what was going on. The boy simply stuttered incoherently as he apologized frantically, my attention elsewhere as the group of three men emerged from the alleyway.

"Oho~? What do we have here? Our prize and a little bonus? Must be our lucky day boys"

The green-haired boy next to me grew strangely quiet, and I knew we were screwed.

Just my luck.

Father had left for his agency earlier that day, with specific instructions for Shoto and my training plan for the day. He was expected to be out late tonight, and we were expected to do our own self training. I had entertained the idea of training all day as I had for the last four years, but the idea of sharing the training hall with Shoto by myself was…not ideal.

Shoto had simply cleaned up his breakfast and wandered off to the training hall, glancing back at me for a brief second as if expecting me to follow. I averted my gaze quickly, waiting until he had finally left. I relaxed after he left, glancing over at Fuyumi as she washed the dishes.

"Ne-san, whats it like outside?" She looked up, a little bewildered at my sudden interest.

"Outside…? Um…. it's really crowded. And dangerous if you're really unlucky. Why…?" she eyed me suspiciously, prompting an innocent smile in a response.

"I just wanted to know…. I've never really gotten to go anywhere before. I'm homeschooled and all, so I don't get to see anything. Maybe you'll tell me more after school?"

Fuyumi eyed me for just a little longer before deciding my intentions were pure. She smiled, waving around the rag in her hand.

"Maybe…if you help me put these up. I have to get going soon…...don't forget to train. You know how he'll get…." Her voice trailed off somewhat ominously and I couldn't resist the giggle as I hopped off my chair to go help her. She ruffled my hair, something that seemed to be a habit of hers, as she handed me the wet dishes to dry.

"I want to be the number one hero, so obviously I'll train. I train every day. Nothing to worry about Ne-san!"

….

I watched as Fuyumi left from the entrance of the household, keeping myself quiet as I snuck around through the bushes. If any servants caught me this far out, I would never get out of here. A small part of me whispered to go back – go to my brother. I could have brought him with me, but the awkwardness of even talking to him would have been too extreme. If anything, I would probably be the only one of us who would get any real enjoyment out of sneaking out for the day. Father might punish me later, but it would be worth it.

I was surprised how crowded it was when I left the household entrance, watching people go about their daily lives. It was amazing seeing some of the physical quirks in real life, as I had only seen a few on the T.V. when heroes took out particular villains. I even caught sight of a few of them using their nonphysical quirks to make their lives easier, even if they didn't do anything extraordinary.

I grinned as I caught sight of a few kids running around as well, suddenly finding myself running down the street and eventually integrating myself in to a group of wandering kids.

"Do you go to our school too? You're not wearing the uniform…" one boy eyed me warily as I walked with this random group of kids. I shrugged and rubbed the back of my head, positively beaming for this sudden social interaction.

"Nah, I'm home schooled. I figured I'd go out and see the city, you know?"

"Oooh, you're skipping? My Ka-san would kill me if I ever did that!"

"Hey, new kid, you have a quirk? Anything cool?" I grinned, feeling a surge of pride for once. I had something cool to show them – as long as I kept it under control.

"Yeah, it's really strong. I can show you a little bit, but I can't go all out. My control is still a bit wobbly" As I spoke, I held out my palm to the interested group of kids, letting a bit of flame form in my hand. They all gasped and I could see the figurative stars in their eyes.

"Wow! Wait, so that's only a little? How much can you do?"

"Just like…can you do it like Endeavor?"

I blinked at the mention of my father, unused to such…. happiness at the thought of him. These kids really admired him. To find somebody who admired my father…that was a new thing. I didn't think much about it as I responded, not understanding the danger in my words.

"I might be able to none day? He's my Oto-san after all…." I was overwhelmed by the immediate reaction, swarmed with various questions before an officer came to move us along.

"Hey, you kids, don't you have school? Get a move on, all of you!" I suddenly felt a bit out of place, the other kids glancing back at me in wonder.

"But she's homeschooled… so…guess we'll see you later kid?" I beamed, forgetting about the officer for a moment.

"Yeah! I'd love to!" I waved the kids off before I felt a hand on my shoulder, the officer looking me over carefully.

"Don't you have somewhere to be kid?"

I felt like a deer in headlights, feeling a bit of panic as I assumed she would try to send me home. I couldn't go home just yet – I only just broke free! I carefully shook her hand off, the tension in the air thick, before I broke off in to a sprint down one of the nearest alleyways, ignoring the officers shouting.

"Oh my god, did I forget how to talk to people after ten years? I am so dead…Oto-san is gonna kill me" I muttered to myself as I climbed a fenced as quickly as my small body could, landing a little roughly on the other side. I only became aware of my audience when I ran straight in to one of them as I turned the corner, falling back on to my rear.

This man was…huge! His whole body seemed to be made out of some type of rock, obviously giving him some sort of endurance. He leered down at me with an odd expression, and I knew this wasn't going to end well.

"Ummm…. hi...?" I spoke weakly, the man laughing in response. I heard movement behind me and suddenly, two other men were climbing over the fence.

"Hey there kiddo…. heard something real interesting back there…. we just wanna have a chat with you father…." One of the men behind me spoke, his grin displaying sharpened teeth.

"…My…Oto-san…?" I whimpered slightly, my throat feeling tight as I held our fire close to me. I couldn't let it explode now, but I wasn't sure what to do. I had only fought my brother or father – strangers were never something I had ever thought about. The third man, with what looked like four arms on each side, cracking his knuckles as a warning.

"Yeah kid. You're Endeavor's brats. You'd be so valuable…and if your father doesn't work with us…. well…...I'm sure other villains would love to have your quirk under their control. I'm sure you'd make a great grunt"

They all laughed eerily, and suddenly, my legs decided they wanted to work again. I suddenly dashed forward, sliding below the larger man in front of me before he could get his hands on me. I pushed all my energy in to running, their footsteps clear behind me as we began our chase.

And that was how I found myself colliding with the green haired boy, our eyes wide and fearful as we stared at my pursuers.

"...ahh…um…uh…we gotta go!" the boy suddenly squeaked as we both stumbled to our feet, his hand taking mine firmly and pulling me along behind him. I squawked at the sudden movement, but made no effort to fight him as we both took off down the street, ignoring the shouting of the villains as we disappeared in to a more public venue.

We ran for what seemed like forever before we stopped outside a few houses, panting as we caught our breath. I glanced over at the boy, only to find him looking at me with worry. Considering my last encounter with strangers, it caught me off guard.

"Are you okay? Those villains were really scary…do you think they still want you? I couldn't tell what their quirks were but…." His voice trailed off in to eerie mumbles and I briefly wondered if this was any better. I quickly shook those thoughts aside – this boy helped me without even knowing me. He could have easily left me behind there.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Just calm down…didn't mean to um drag you in to that…" I didn't know his name and I wasn't sure if asking was rude. All that isolation for the past years had really damaged my ability to talk to strangers, leaving me feeling incredibly awkward. He completely ignored my awkwardness, however, and smiled brightly.

"no, its fine. You looked like you really needed help…and I'm glad we got out of there safely! I'm Midoriya Izuku! What about you?" I hesitated, considering how my last introduction turned out, before putting my trust in this odd green-haired boy.

"I'm…. Todoroki Homura. It's um nice to meet you…. where are we?" I glanced around, realizing how utterly lost I was. Izuku grinned, pulling my hand carefully towards the houses.

"I didn't know where to go and you weren't wearing my school uniform, so I brought us home... Ka-san should be home…. hopefully she isn't too mad, I definitely skipped school…." He started his odd muttering again and I had to grip his hand firmly to get him to return to reality. He chuckled nervously, leading me ahead in to his small house.

Compared to my house, it was absolutely tiny. Yet…it felt nice. It felt safe and warm and…. god I couldn't imagine ever going back. I had only been in this house for a few seconds and I was overwhelmed by its charm.

"…are you okay, Homura-san?" Izuku stared at me in concern, holding hand carefully as if expecting me to vanish. It was strange…and comforting. If only I brought Shoto along with me…maybe he would have felt it too.

"...Ah, yeah. I was just surprised…your house is kinda small?" I regretted my remark when Izuku seemed to flush a little bit. I stammered out an apology quickly before I did any damage.

"I mean – I mean it's really nice! I'm just used to bigger is all, but I really like your house! It's really nice..I…sorry?" I stammered out, rubbing my hand while Izuku stared at me. He suddenly broke out in one of his huge grins.

"It's okay! Come on, we gotta meet Ka-san before we get in trouble. I'm supposed to be in school and all…" he muttered, both of us jumping when a figure popped out in to the hall suddenly.

"Izuku-kun! What are you doing here you're supposed to be at school…who is this?" Izuku's mother was a somewhat plump woman with green eyes and hair to match Izuku's, with an equally kind vibe to match. Izuku stiffed a bit before rubbing the back of his head, his hand disappearing in to his curls as he spoke.

"ah…well I was going to school…but then these villians suddenly came out of nowhere! They were chasing her, so I brought her here to hide…I didn't mean to skip Ka-san…she just... she looked like she needed help..." I jumped in as he began to mumble, hoping to help the situation.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make him miss school…. He really helped me out! I can leave if it's too much trouble..." I offered weakly, surprised at his mother's sudden closeness as she ran over to both of us, pulling us in to a tight hug.

"Oh my god…are you two okay?! Don't you worry about it dear, both of you just stay here okay? I should call the police…" I interrupted there, not wanting to involve my father if I could avoid it.

"Oh….no it's fine. You don't have to go to any trouble. I can just go home and avoid them! I can use our quirk if I really need to…" I trailed off, a little uncomfortable with the genuine worry being given to me freely.

"Ah…maybe you should stay with us for the day! They'll give up if they don't know where to find you!" Izuku interjected, glancing at his mother for confirmation. She nodded, patting the top of our heads as she released us.

"…Yes, I'd feel more comfortable if you at least did that. Izuku, why don't you take her to your room to calm down? I'll start lunch in a few hours…" she nodded at Izuku, a nervous smile appearing on my own face.

"Ah, thank you Midoriya-san. I'm sorry for the trouble…. Oh! I'm Todoroki Homura by the way" I added, mentally scolding myself for forgetting introductions. She merely laughed lightly, backing up a bit as Izuku suddenly tugged insistently on my hand.

"It's no problem, Homura-chan. You can call me Inko-san. You two have fun, and be careful" she added as Izuku and I dashed to his room, most of the enthusiasm from him as I struggled to keep up. As soon as he opened the door, I found myself blinded.

"Wow…. that is…a lot of All might stuff..." I managed weakly, glancing around at the insane merchandise. Man, my father would hate this room. Izuku practically radiated pride as he showed off his room, practically shoving an All might plush in to my hands.

"Yeah! He's only the best hero in the world! He saves everybody with a huge smile on his face! He's amazing! I can have ka-san let me show you the video after lunch!" Izuku babbled excitedly while I observed the plush in my hands. He was such a fanboy…it was kind of cute.

"Yeah, I know, my Oto-san talks about him a lot. My Oto-san wants to be the number one hero too..." I was practically blinded by the stars in Izuku's eyes.

"Your father's a hero? What's his name? I didn't see you use your quirk…oh what's your quirk too? Is it really flashy?" I blinked, bombarded with questions before I put my hands on his shoulders to try and calm him down. He seemed to take the hint, coughing awkwardly.

"Okay…. first calm down. As for my Oto-san…...his hero name is Endeavor" I ignored the loud gasp of excitement and continued. "And…. our quirk is…um…. it's fire. And ice. But I only have the fire right now…it's not really all that amazing" An odd expression flickered across Izuku's face at my last comment, incredibly different from his usual brightness.

"Endeavor…. the number two hero! That's so amazing…I wish I could have a cool quirk like his! But you said 'our' quirk...? What does that mean?" This kid barely gave me any time to try and ask him what was wrong, continuing his question assault.

"Um, well I have a twin and we have one quirk. We're on in the same, two halves of a whole…. it's a weird twin thing I guess?"

"Wow, that's amazing! I've never heard of quirks being affected like that! I'm surprised there isn't more info on it…that's really cool..." he seemed lost in thought for a moment, giving me an opportunity.

"So…are you quirkless?" He froze, and I knew I was right. He trembled a bit with a sad smile, taking back the plush I immediately held out. He took it carefully, hugging it close to him.

"Yeah…. I'm quirkless. But it's okay! I'm gonna be a hero no matter what!" It was…a childish dream. I had just come face to face with three villains and even I couldn't do much about them…let alone a quirkless kid. I didn't know how to tell him without hurting his feelings, deciding that maybe a change of subject was in order.

"…Well…. you know a lot about heroes then?"

I think I got about a few words in compared to his thousands during those few hours we played together.

It was well after lunch when Izuku suddenly glanced at his clock, looking incredibly excited.

"Homura-chan, we should go outside! Kaachan and the others will be out of school by now!" he suddenly barreled out of the room, faster than I could even process his words. I stumbled to my feet and ran after him, giving Inko my regards as we both dashed out of the house.

"Whose Kaachan?"

"Only the greatest and strongest kid I know! He has this really amazing quirk, you have to meet him..." I took note of the lack of observations concerning his personality, but followed along anyways down the street until we came across a ground of kids. One of the kids caught sight of Izuku and sneered, giving me an uneasy feeling.

"look who it is, worthless Deku! Finally decided you couldn't even show your face at school?" the leader of the group jeered, a frown forming on my face as we approached. Izuku stiffened a bit, but simply stuttered in response awkwardly.

"Ah, I ran in to some trouble today…there were these villains chasing us and it was scary…oh! Kaachan, meet Homura-chan! She's Endeavor's daughter!" Izuku pronounced, to my utter horror. I should have told this damn kid to shut his mouth, finding myself in an uncomfortable position. 'Kaachan' narrowed his eyes, stomping past Deku towards me. He seemed to give me a look over, observing my potential as a threat.

"This little girl? Endeavor's child? Give me a break she looks fucking weak," he sneered, my eyebrows practically disappearing at his vulgar language. I hadn't heard a kid my age talk like this ever, let alone address me like that.

"Yeah? I don't need to talk down to others to make myself feel great at least. What are you, two? Give me a break" I snapped, clenching my fists. I held the fire tighter, willing it to stay calm as I squared off with this brat. His little cronies gasped, and I rolled my eyes, glancing over at Izuku. 'Kaachan' scowled, letting small explosions burst out of his palms as he brought them dangerously close to my face. I narrowed my eyes.

"I'm the greatest around here bitch. You should learn your fucking place before I have to beat it in to you" he growled, and I definitely knew I no longer had eyebrows. I didn't know which was worse; my brother's personality or this kid's personality.

"Try me"

I didn't really expect the kid to back up his words; I assumed he was all bark and no bite. So, when he shoved his palm in my face and let out an explosion, the fire lashed out of me angrily at the shock of pain. I took ahold of the kid's wrist as the fire enveloped my hand, easily snaking around the kids arm and causing him to shout. He took back his arm with a hiss, trying to get rid of the flames as I lunged at him, tackling him to the ground.

My brother was a thousand times stronger than this kid – he was an untrained brat with an odd vicious streak. He definitely had some talent – I could tell as we wrestled angrily with our quirks and fists – but I had trained for years. It was easy for me to gain the upper hand, digging my fist in to his face to beat him in to submission. My flames exploded outwards angrily, lashing out at any of the other kids who tried to break us up. Even adults who came by couldn't do much to stop our fight, leaving this 'Kaachan' and I to practically wreck each other.

It was far from the coordinated spars I engaged in with my family – it was messy and brutal, and our nails were clawing at whatever we could. Our quirks clashed and exploded, reacting violently against each other as we struggled to keep our opponent on the defensive.

It wasn't until I felt my flames forcibly receding, and a hand around the hem of my shirt yanking me back, did the fight come to an abrupt halt. I was dimly aware of Izuku's excited shriek as I glanced up and made eye contact with my father, his eyes narrowed dangerously. My eyes darted over towards the kid on the ground, who was nursing wounds similar to mine. Both of us were covered in minor burns and bruises, scowling at each other despite the presence of my father.

"Kaachan…" Izuku's eyes darted between 'Kaachan', my father and I, unsure of what to do. Father dropped me to the ground without care, causing me to wince at the impact. I brought my flames further within me, holding them back as my father addressed the officers who had lingered around. I sat there in silence, well aware of the punishment coming as I was approached by not one, but two boys. Izuku looked incredibly concerned, but 'Kaachan' seemed to be reassessing me.

"Bakugo"

"Huh?"

"Bakugo Katsuki. You?" I stared at him blankly, before responding warily.

"Todoroki. Todoroki Homura" He snorted, folding his arms across his chest. Izuku looked warily between the two of us, as if expecting another fight to break out. He seemed ready to jump in between the two of us, and that was saying something considering our quirks and his lack of. He was a really special kid, that Izuku. I wasn't sure if that was good or bad just yet.

"Hmph, well you're not bad…for a girl. But don't let that get to your head because I'm still the greatest here. Don't you fucking forget that!" he practically snarled, and though I itched to punch him, my father's presence kept me in check. I could see him acknowledgement of my abilities, however, and simply held out my hand to him.

"Alright…well my Oto-san's watching….so if you could..." I glanced back, feeling my father's eyes on me. Katsuki simply snorted, batting my hand away. I scowled a bit, withdrawing my gesture of peace. I took back everything I said – this kid was worse than my brother.

"Fine then…. Izuku-kun, it was nice meeting you" I bowed slightly, which was probably overdue, before I wandered back towards my father. He acknowledged my presence but said nothing, instead walking away and expecting me to follow. I glanced back at the two kids one more time, wincing a bit as Katsuki turned on Izuku but unable to do anything. I felt my mind throb a bit, and though I would have liked to go help Izuku, I felt like it would be fine.

He would be okay.

* * *

Father…. he yelled quite a bit when we returned home. I felt increasingly guilty the more people were forced to experience his anger – especially when Fuyumi got an earful. Oddly enough, he didn't say a word to me as we traversed through the household. I was relieved, but also wary. The real surprise is when we headed down to the training hall, I felt something collide with me and hug me tight. I blinked, startled by Shoto's unnatural cuddliness. I almost forgot the years of tension between us – almost. I pushed him away carefully, eyeing him as though he was ill.

"You…where did you go…?" he finally managed, keeping his voice steady as he stared. I wanted to rebuke him, to tell him it was none of his business and to leave me alone, but the tugging on the fire caught me off guard.

We could…feel each other's emotions briefly by switching powers. It was only a second of connection and it only really worked with the power that resonated with us the best, but it could tell you so much. The fact that he was willing to take the fire…to even consider it just to find out…it said a lot more about the complexity of our relationship than any normal person could imagine.

"I…. I snuck out. Met some people. Got in to a fight…probably not really heroic, huh?" I muttered quietly, letting Shoto briefly take the fire from within. It was strange to have absolutely nothing – I had held the fire for so long I forgot what it was like to be quirkless in a sense. I watched him carefully, his attention down at his hand as he seemed to get a feel for the fire. He only held it for a few seconds, however, before shoving it back to me roughly.

"...No, it's not. You should be careful…Homura-chan" he finally spoke, and though his tone was cold, I could tell he worried at least a little.

"Shoto, leave for the day. I have a few things to discuss with your sister" Father finally interrupted the moment, Shoto simply nodding and exiting without a glance towards father. He eyed the retreating boy quietly before turning his gaze towards me, the unease growing as I awaited my punishment.

"You…I have realized something Homura. You're nothing like your brother – you are not talented and need every bit of help you can get" the words stung, but I did not dare rebuke them. I simply nodded quietly, looking down at the ground.

"You have a glaringly obvious weakness. You won't fight me seriously or Shoto. You won't become acceptable if you won't fight seriously" his criticisms continued, and I continued to nod along.

"So, I figured a change of plans was in order. You won't be sparring with Shoto or myself anymore. I have found you a new partner. I don't think you'll have any trouble. You won't be sparring in this household anymore either – you will leave every morning with a servant and return at specified times. Do I make myself clear?"

I blinked…that was not what I was expecting. I had honestly thought he was done with me, tossing me aside so he could funnel all his attention on Shoto. In a way he was…but I was still getting trained. In my opinion, this wasn't even close to a punishment. There had to be a catch….

"I have brought him over here temporarily – he won't be returning here, but I figured you might like to know who you'll be fighting from now on" he continued, peaking my interest as a servant entered the room with another. My eyes widened before I laughed.

Well, I'll be damned!

* * *

 **A/N: Bonus points to whoever can guess who it is! *-***

 **As always, reviews, suggestions, critique, etc are always welcome! Thank you for the love guys 3**


	6. Growth

**A/N: I decided to do….one more filler before canon…. buuuuut I'll probably hit canon next chapter. I literally don't have too much to do besides this that can take a whole chapter! But don't worry – I'm not rushing through the canon at all! I've got plenty of fillers planned for canon-verse, so it won't just be canon c/p with homura added lol!**

 **Also the formatting is a bit weird...I realized I kept centering everything like an idiot by mistake oops. It was a habit. I think it's weird here too, but I'll get it right! I should be getting a beta I believe, so chapters might take longer to come out! But I bet the quality will be ten times better, so bear with me 3**

 **Also, the time is a bit weird in this one. The Shoto excerpts go in order (first one starts at 4 and the last one ends at age 10. Basically, a recap of Shoto's views and feelings since he hasn't been present in a lot of these!).**

 **In Brightest Day – lolololol. Don't hurt yourself silly :P Hope this wasn't too obvious aha**

 **Guest #1 – haha yeah I considered it buuuuuut, kinda felt like that's an overdone trope type of thing. U did want her to realize the dangers of her heritage is really what it was for!**

 **Maester Ta – she did! And maaaaybe, I am definitely considering that one. I couldn't possibly think of why he's such a hard one to ship with…lolol**

 **HaPPy2901 – no spoooilers but lololol. The problem with staying in this younger years too long is I don't have a lot of content planned for them – not without Shoto being almost nonexistent for chapters and chapters. Their relationship isn't going to mend itself outside of canon – but don't worry! I have plenty of fillers for canon, so it won't just be each chapter is a copy paste of canon! As for thaaaaat, I remembered that as I posted it but for story's sake we're going to say she ran really far from those villians. Lol. I think we can live with a bit of error for the sake of DRAMA.**

 **kirika o7 – oh boy you don't even know the half of it with Shoto lol. And yeah, Kaachan acknowledged her! Now he wants to beat her up! Yay!**

 **Skidney – Thank you 3**

 **Spicyrash – There's gonna be a WHOLE lot of drama when that time comes. Trust me guys, when the festival arc gets here…ya'll are going to be in for a RIDE.**

 **Guest #2 – oh those are cute *-* 3**

 **Guest #3- I think it's my favorite catchphrase imo. It's def perfect 3**

* * *

 _ **\- Shoto Todoroki -**_

 _Prodigy. Legacy. Tool. Number one. Hero._

They were important words, for they defined every part of Shoto's life since their quirk manifested when they were younger.

For his mother, he would rise to number one just like All Might, to be the hero not bound by his blood.

For his sister, he would be the hero that would protect her no matter the cost and no matter how much she hated him for it.

For his father, he was the legacy of his empire, the inheritor of his agency power and ambitions. For his tutors and everybody else, he was a prodigy.

When their quirk first manifested, the ice had clung to his heart like it was a part of his own soul. Sure, he could feel the fire and its connection to himself, but it was ice that awoke inside of him first. It felt like his mother's love, cold but comforting and capable of shielding his heart from anything that might hurt him. Though he hated to admit it, the fire was no less apart of him than the ice regardless of its preference of Homura. Their quirk wasn't sentient of course – but when something was made just for you, it held a special kind of feeling nobody else could truly understand.

Of course, everything changed when his mother had stumbled upon their discovery. She was afraid, and of what he couldn't comprehend at that moment. It had something to do with their quirk, and with little reason to doubt his mother, he reached out and snatched the fire before his sister could be harmed by it. The fire felt like his father, clinging to his emotions to manipulate his will to its own agenda. It was powerful, but angry, and it took all his might to keep it under wraps. He was afraid, but more so of what would happen to his sister if she held it, and so he locked it away. When his father came in and showed an eerie interest in him and lack of with his sister, he knew he made the right decision.

He had missed Homura when he was whisked away by his father to begin their grueling training, sustained only by his will to emulate All Might and protect his sister from the fire. His mother tried to intervene plenty of times, but as his father hit and abused her, he began to push her away to try and safe her. He could see her cracking in a way no four-year-old should ever be aware of with the way her hands would tighten whenever they encountered his left. If he looked at her in any way, she would tilt his head to obscure his red side from view. Whenever he brought out the fire? Well, her quirk seemed to unconsciously incase his hands as he wrestled with the power, angering his father even more.

Most four-year olds might have cried, but Shoto knew better than to let that happen. He knew he would never be like normal kids, forced to mature and grow past his age to survive the harsh treatment. Yet, nobody told him how to deal with trauma and pain. No, he was forced to figure it out on his own, and even as he grew older, remained unsure as to whether he was right.

His mother's eyes seemed to look past him, horrified at something that was not there, when she threw the water at his face that night. It was absolute _agony_. He had taken beatings to the point of vomiting from his father, but this was different. This was his mother and everything inside him seemed to break. His ice encased his heart, willing away the pain that threatened to break him while the fire simply thrived in the emotions. It was him. This fire….it had to be made of his father to feel like this. It wasn't like his ice – it brought only misery to his entire family.

Homura's appearance….it scared him. She had snatched the fire away from his broken body, fueling his father's will further with it and striking out at the true victim. She had _hurt_ their mother, just like he did every time she tried to help. His mother was only trying to help. Homura was clueless, misguided, and knew nothing of what was going on and, yet she lashed out with power as if there was no consequence. Shoto could only reach out weakly as he battled his inner demons and the agonizing pain from the burning, unable to convey his words to her. She was not being the hero. She was being a villain, and he had to stop her.

In hindsight, maybe he should have handled it differently, but trauma was volatile and unreasonable. Everything in his mind screamed villain or father when he saw his sister after the incident and he knew something was wrong. She was his twin, his other half, and yet he could not see past these horrifying images of her. He saw the fire encasing her, and as he flinched away from it, he knew he had to put up walls. He had to protect her from himself, no matter how she felt about it. The fire was blinding, and if he stared too long, there was nothing left but ashes of the twin he had slept with for years. She had to leave, to remain safe and untainted as he had become. He was only a child, but his mother had shown him what could happen if he left this for too long. He could not fix it, so he could only make sure his target would never be within reach again.

It was years later when she struck him down, her eyes streaming and her entire body trembling as she confronted him. When she fought back against every precaution he had put up, every wall he had made to keep her safe, he only felt anger and betrayal. Guilt had crept up a bit, but he shoved it down to maintain his resolve. He acknowledged the punch was earned, since he had turned their spar in to an unnecessary brawl, but to have her openly defy his dream? She was eagerly throwing herself in to that fire, embracing its cursed touch in favor of letting him protect her. Why would she do that? Why? Why couldn't she have just left him that day and continued her normal life with their siblings? Why did she have to follow him?

It was obvious what the answer was, his twin and he were so connected it was almost painful, but he couldn't acknowledge this. Homura was still intact, still innocent and caring, and he could not let her burn simply because he wanted to be with her again. No, that would never be an option. He could see her desperation, understand it even, and he continued to turn his back. She would have to bear with it, and if she didn't, maybe…. just maybe he would have to strike her down.

Just so she would fall on his terms gently rather than on someone else's and perish.

He couldn't bear the thought.

* * *

It was agonizing and painful to the point of tears, but it was different. There was no hesitation nor concern as I was forced to explore my fire's potential, using it to propel herself all around the dojo as I dodged my opponents explosive quirk. His red eyes narrowed, and his grin widened, Katsuki practically baring fangs at me as he predicted my movements and adjusted accordingly, letting his palms explode with full force as I was forced to maneuver once more. I scowled a bit as I ducked beneath his palms, the tip of my nose feeling a bit of heat as I slid underneath him. I let the flames explode out of my palms, propelling my forward a bit to gain distance as I jumped to my feet.

"You fucking bitch, I'll fucking destroy you!" he snarled, whipping around quickly and dashing towards my position, jumping out of the way to avoid the minor balls of flame I shot towards him. I gritted my feet and brought the flames back to my palms, encasing my fist as I met his palm head on, the explosion rattling the dojo as our quirks violently entangled with each other. My ears rung a bit at the noise, and as I clutched the side of my head, I could tell Katsuki was reeling from the after effects as well. It didn't stop him from decking me in the face though.

I was 13 and I was practically tearing up from the pain and blood covering my face as I clutched my nose, scowling at the asshole in front of me. I caught sight of a mop of green hair out of the corners of my eyes as the smoke cleared, Izuku's worry clear as day as he attempted to run up to us. Only the dojo's master stopped him, his large hands keeping the boy at bay as he laughed approvingly.

"Aha, excellent, excellent! Only to be expected from Endeavor's of course, but you boy – you are extremely talented. Both of you will make fine heroes!" retired pro hero Endurant's booming laughed filled the dojo, his quirk having adjusted his body to our volatile and explosive quirks accordingly. His quirk allowed his body to adjust accordingly to his environment, making him perfect for both rescues and training violent and powerful quirks. There was a reason he was chosen to oversee my training; though my sparring partner just happened to be Katsuki of all people. Just my luck, am I right?

I simply nodded at the energetic man, still holding my face to quell the blood flow while Katsuki smirked arrogantly.

"I don't need your fucking praise, we already know who's going to take that number one spot. I don't have to worry about much if my competition is anything like this weakling" he sneered at me, my eyes narrowing in response. We had been sparring for well over three years now and his personality still hadn't grown on me at all. I didn't know how Izuku came to admire him. He was such an asshole.

"Such confidence! If only we could fix your attitude…. ah yes Midoirya-san you can go attend to Homura-chan now, it's safe now" he seemed to barely remember I was injured, looking a bit sheepish as Izuku dashed past him with a cloth. The boy still had that same cute face he did when we first met, though he had grown taller and seemed a bit lankier. Though he couldn't participate due to a ban on quirkless joining in the dojo, my good word and influence allowed him to at least watch and help us out from time to time. Everyone seemed to dismiss him, but I knew his intellect was practically a gold mine.

"H-homura-chan, here I brought this rag for you! It might smell a bit weird though, ah, sorry…" Izuku rubbed the back of his head, grinning awkwardly as I replaced my hand with the cloth. I simply smiled, using my other hand to rustle his hair.

"Nah, it's great Izuku-kun! Think I woulda lost my mind if I had to deal with only this one training here. If anything, you're more useless than his quirk any day" I added slyly, feeling somewhat triumphant at the outraged noise from behind me.

"Do you want to fight me, you fuckin-" He was cut off as Endurant entered the ring, keeping the boy back before I was ready to go at it again. Izuku flushed slightly at my compliment, though he was obviously pleased.

"ah, t-thank you! I'm glad I can help you! I'm really glad my observation of your quirks potential was right though! You can be really versatile with it too! If you brought your ice more too then I could probably make a few suggestions with that one too…." This was about the point when Izuku would start muttering, my mind would start going in circle, and I was forced to push the kid back a bit to retain some of my sanity. I leaned my head back a bit, pinching my nose carefully before discarding the rag and stretching out my arms. I glanced over at Katsuki, who caught my eyes and grinned widely, before standing up and readying myself for another round. Izuku quickly scrambled away, Endurant eventually exiting the ring after going over the ground rules once again. Our movement seemed to be synchronized at this point, fire exploding out of my palms as I threw them behind me at the same time his palms exploded, launching us both at high speeds in to yet another fiery battle to the death.

It was interesting how my quirk involved under this pressure, no longer concerned about hurting a family member. I was even convinced I could face Katsuki head on unlike with my father, and it was somewhat true as the two of us seemed to best the other over and over. We were two explosive quirks that complicated the other amazingly, allowing us to push our limits and evolve farther than either of us would have ever done alone. To tell the truth, I could have never progressed like this training with my family. I just couldn't fight them seriously.

I found myself bringing up a small flame wall between the two of us as he threw an explosive punch my way, his blast exploding against the wall and sending us both skidding back. The smoke obscured our vision and I took my chance, dashing forward with a prepared ball of fire in my hand and shooting it forward, letting it blow away the smoke as it headed for the unlucky soul on the other side. Katsuki cursed, snarling as he aimed his palms downward and blew himself upwards, narrowly dodging the flaming ball of death as it collided with the wall behind him. With an impressive grasp of his quirk, he used his explosions to propel himself forward, meeting me head on yet again as we both exploded in to action.

Even as our quirks matured, and our minds grew sharper, we always seemed to end our battle with an explosion of quirks. On the sidelines, Endurant cheered enthusiastically while Izuku coughed and covered his eyes to shield them from debris and smoke as our latest fight died down. I stood there wheezing slightly, grinning down at the temporarily dazed Katsuki. He narrowed his eyes and snarled as his sense came back, his hands balling in to fists.

"Again!"

It was lucky this dojo was built for our high caliber quirks.

* * *

It was hours later that I found myself sitting outside the dojo, devouring an ice pop as I leaned against the building as I waited for my ride to arrive. Izuku sat to my right, scribbling in one his hero books while his own pop slowly met its fate against the sun. Katsuki sat begrudgingly to my left, completely ignoring the two of us as he ate his own ice pop. I had enjoyed this new training at the dojo immensely, but it was these moments afterwards that meant the most – even if Katsuki lingered only if to grind my gears. He knew it too, and though I wasn't looking at him, I could feel his smirk lingering on my back. I was half tempted to start another round right there, but I was smarter than that. I simply glanced down at Izuku, my eyes wandering to his book.

"What are you writing about this time? You can't possibly have more on our quirks" I inquired, Izuku smiling a bit as he glanced up and shook his head.

"No, no not about you – I'm writing on Endurant! Did you see his eyes? I didn't notice it before, but even they adjusted to the smoke and debris flying around! And did you know…"

"Izuku-kun"

"And his skin! It was solid to the point of not sweating and…."

"Izuku-kun"

"And did you see his…..."

"HEY DEKU! SHUT THE FUCK UP WITH YOUR BULLSHIT!" Katsuki finally seemed to acknowledge our presence, trembling from annoyance as he stalked up to the boy and yanked him up by his collar. Izuku squeaked and dropped his book, looking somewhat fearful. I had my hand in between them in an instant, eyeing the blonde-haired boy warily.

"How about you chill – or both of you really. Jeez, it's like dealing with a bunch of two-year olds sometimes" I muttered, Izuku flushing form embarrassment and Katsuki practically snarling.

"What did you say, you bitch?"

"Ah, that's my ride! I'll see you two later then?" I easily exited the conversation, though I rushed a bit as a sleek black car pulled up to the curb. I slid in to the back before Katsuki could get another word in, the car taking off as if it sensed the impending fight if we lingered too long.

It was a strange feeling riding in a car as opposed to riding, but with the incident a few years back and my status as Endeavor's daughter, it was either a car or my father himself. It was obvious which options was the better of two and I found myself riding with this stranger every day, any form of vision or communication with him blocked by a barrier between the back and front seat. It was a bit odd, but I assumed his quirk had something to do with it, so I didn't press for any further information considering my father chose him. I simply relaxed in the back seat, peeking out the window as we drove through the city and I reviewed my day at the dojo.

Katsuki was arrogant, prideful, and gigantic asshole, and completely unpleasant in every which way. Yet, he was incredibly talented, and I found myself being forced to adapt and discover new things about our quirk with every fight. I usually only brought fire with me, but occasionally Shoto could be convinced to release the ice as well, though it was more me yanking it away and running before he could snatch it back. I felt a little bad about it, but I wouldn't allow his stupid stubbornness to hinder me any further. If he wanted to wallow in whatever was bothering him, then so be it. I would not allow him to ruin my future, however, and I had come to accept that uncomfortable necessity a while ago.

My relationship with Shoto…I don't think you could even call it one anymore. It was dangling by a single thread at this point, our quirk the only thing that kept us connected. I knew if he had it his way, that bond would be severed and done with for good. I couldn't understand what was wrong with him, and that was the problem. I knew he had suffered, but generally if you were hurting you didn't push away your support so easily. Right?

Snatching away ice seemed so easily lately, disturbingly so, but I knew I couldn't relent and bow down to his desires. I was shattered and hurting, but I wanted to get better. I had tried to bring him up with me, but he had rejected me at every turn. With my new training regime that left him alone with father instead of the two of us, it had only worsened. We talked a little bit, especially if I had stolen ice for the day, but it was rarely anything pleasant and usually stiff formalities at best.

He wasn't clueless, and I knew it – he was a damn prodigy. He could feel everything I felt when I returned ice, and yet he still did nothing. His walls were so thick that my fire couldn't melt them, and at this point, I wasn't sure if I wanted to.

How could you help somebody who resisted you so much?

* * *

 **\- Shoto Todoroki -**

Shoto realized something was wrong the moment he reached out curiously for the flame, only to find it outside of his grasp. In their ten years of life, that had never happened before once. Even as he pushed her away, she always lingered at the edge, her fire a dull warmth at the back of his heart. Now, she was gone and so was his sanity, his eyes wide with fear as he ran out of the training hall. He nearly gave a servant a heart attack as he suddenly appeared, a frenzy of emotions that hadn't been visible in so many years as he began searching for her.

What if she had finally given up, but instead of standing aside for him, simply running away from everything they had? Maybe she had taken one look too many at him and saw mother, her inability to understand the situation too great for her to cope with anymore? What if she hated him so much that even living with him was too unbearable, taking with her their quirk that connected them?

 _What if? What if? What if? What if?_

The ice seemed to shatter, the shards piercing practically everything within him as he ducked in to every room, searching for his twin. As his search proved fruitless in their enclosed living space, he eventually ventured out in to the yard and towards the main house, though he had forgotten it's layout over the years. Still, every room yielded the same results and he found his ice pouring out of his feet as he walked, leaving a cracking trail of ice behind him. He was snapped out of his haze when a wary servant finally approached the emotional boy, Shoto's eyes snapping back coldly to the woman as she shivered. He blinked, realizing he had actually lost control of his ice before sheepishly pulling back on it.

"a-ah…. Todoroki-kun, are you okay? What's the matter? You're not supposed to be this far?" she questioned him weakly, but he could tell her intentions were good. He studied her quietly for a moment, reigning his emotions back in before responding coolly.

"Where is Homura? She was supposed to be training…." the servant blinked, seemingly surprised by the uncharacteristic concern. The thought made him uncomfortable, unsure of when concern had become unusual on his face. Had he become that cold so soon?

"Ah, Homura-chan! Well, we…we think she left the household earlier. We've been searching for her most of the day, but we're always made a call to Endeavor-sama. You should be able to relax, he will surely locate your sister" the servant seemed to gesture for him to leave, but he remained rooted to the floorboards.

"I would like to wait for her here" he narrowed his eyes, ice forming around his feet for emphasis. The servant seemed to get the hint, swallowing nervously.

"Well…okay I don't think there will be any harm. But please don't try to leave, I'll let you know when he finds her, alright?" At his quiet nod, the servant seemed to practically run away, leaving the boy to his thoughts as sat on the ground and waited.

By the time Homura had been found and returned, Fuyumi had already arrived. Shoto had relented to her urging when she arrived, well aware of the foul mood father would be in when he arrived. Sure enough, when the man came storming in to the household hours later with Homura in tow, he practically screamed at just about everybody. Shoto had migrated back to the hall leading to the training room, watching quietly as Fuyumi was reprimanded. He caught sight of Homura, her eyes downcast from the guilt as the duo began approaching him.

Shoto retreated to the training hall, waiting for both father and sister to arrive before his emotions got the best of him and he practically tackled Homura. He kept the ice well out of reach of her grasp, unwilling to let her know how he truly felt. She couldn't know how painful it was for him at the thought of no longer having his twin, even if she hated him and he reciprocated the negative emotions in turn. Against his better judgement, he reached in and pulled the fire, his palms lighting up with the warmth as he took in her emotions.

She felt…...better in a way. Happier. Something had happened, and while she felt guilt, there was no mistaking the other emotions for anything other than happiness. Whatever she had encountered had made her fearful, panicked, but at the end of it all, happy and warm. It was everything he had ever wanted for her, and though he longed to feel it too, he knew there was no going back. He relinquished the fire to her, and after an exchanging of words, watching as she was torn farther from him by a new sparring partner and trainer.

Shoto had exited the room after returning the fire, only returning once Homura and her…sparring partner…. had left the room loudly. They ignored each other as they passed, seemingly in different worlds now. He entered at the call of his father, staring up at the main with a cold gaze. The man was completely unfazed, regarding his son with an odd twinkle in his eyes.

"You will be my heir to my legacy, my power, and my future. Your sister has potential, but she won't surpass you. You are stubborn and still have a lot to learn, but not that I've relocated her, it should be easier to focus on you," Shoto simply closed his eyes, ignoring everything that swirled inside of him. He knew his sister was powerful, but he also knew she did not have the same drive as him. She wanted to beat him, but her will was weak and only her words held any bite to them.

"Your training will be longer, and I expect you to keep up. You will use your fire as well because your sister needs to use that ice of yours. You will use the fire even if I have to beat it out of you, do you understand?" the threat lingered in the air, Shoto narrowing his eyes somewhat challengingly. The defiance eventually withered away, however, and he simply nodded in again. His throat felt tight from a mix of emotions, only the ice constricting within him keeping him from bursting.

He had done exactly what he said – surpassed his sister to a point of no return. He knew she still had hope for the future, but at this point, he was walking forward and leaving her behind.

It hurt…it hurt so much, but this was something he had to do.

He had to reach number one.

He could do it without his fire.

He would do it without Homura.

* * *

 **A/N: I BET YOU GUYS DIDN'T EXPECT THE SUDDEN SHOTO BOMB.**

 **I thought we were missing a lot of Shoto, so I brought him in like a slap to the face.**

 **I would expect the next chapter to definitely be the start of canon, but like I said before, don't worry about the story rushing. I have a lot of fillers planned for anon – I just ran out of ideas for pre-canon that won't be boring or too hard to write!**

 **All of your comments, critique, suggestions etc are amazing 3 So glad to have you wonderful people reading! Hope you guys let me know what you think and wait for the next chapter!**


	7. Entrance Exam

**A/N: Honestly, this chapter was a blast to write and NOT just because I really loved the content. Special thanks to my new Beta Reader Wakacchi for helping me improve the content and just being incredibly pleasant to work with!**

 **This chapter was super fun to work with! I had a blast with this one and I think you guys will like it quite a bit – the longest chapter yet!**

 **HaPPy2901 – lololol you think he'd turn down the chance to fight with the girl who tussled with him earlier? He was actually attending that dojo beforehand though – it's a special dojo designed for explosive and heat based quirks! I figured they would have specialized dojos depending on the quirk! Katsuki just happened to be the top student at that one.**

 **Skidney – Thank you !**

 **Wanderstar – Yes, I figured it was long overdo! Plenty of drama along with it hehe!**

 **Guest #1 – We'll have to wait and see! Trauma is a difficult thing to overcome for some!**

 **In Brightest Day – aha well I'm glad it wasn't too obvious? Haha! And that pun, lolololololol**

 **Guest #2 – Ya, poor boy. One day, one day he'll be better. But not until we all have our fill of drama.**

* * *

In my past life, you wouldn't even consider trying to wake me up before nine in the morning, or in some cases even ten. Even if you somehow managed to rouse me from my slumber, let alone in a good mood, the likelihood of me making it the first few steps without falling was not something I would bet on. Here and now, however, was an incredibly different story.

My back arched slightly and pulled as I leant forward, the tips of my fingers grazing my foot as I sat in the training hall before the sun had even rise. Beads of sweat formed at the tip of my forehead as I ran through my morning drills, stretching my muscles and waking me up for the big day ahead. At the start of my intense training years ago, I had practically bawled at the beginning of every ungodly early session. Now, however, I couldn't go through the day without properly stretching and taking care of my well-toned body. It was crazy how over ten years of hell would eventually benefit me in the long run, no matter how scarred and torn apart my fragile mind was.

"Todoroki-Sama!" I frowned slightly at the honorific, blowing the strands of red and white hair out of my face as I glanced over at the approaching servant. I cracked my neck slightly, the red and white braid that had been resting over my shoulder falling back out of view as I diverted my attention.

"Ah, you don't have to be that formal while Oto-san isn't around. Homura-chan is fine!" I smiled sheepishly, running my hand through my hair awkwardly as the servant smiled slightly and giggled just a bit. She composed herself quickly, however, and returned to the calm and professional employee speaking with her employer.

"My apologies Homura-chan. Todoroki-sama asked me to inform you that he will be watching your performance today closely. He won't be able to meet with you though, unfortunately." she seemed apologetic, but I just snorted.

"Trust me, there's nothing unfortunate about it. Thanks though, is anybody else up?" My eyes flickered to the window as I spoke, taking note of the darkness that still lingered outside.

"Todo- Shoto-kun is up I believe. I believe he is currently on his morning run around the estate." I scowled slightly, the annoyance burning a bit as I rose to my feet steadily. Of course, he would do this - I knew he didn't care enough to at least try to make it easy for me. I reached inside carefully, tugging hard on the ice, rolling my eyes at the immediate resistant. I was obviously going to have to track him down.

"Ah, thanks. I better go find him before I take a shower and get ready. If Nee-san gets up before I've got all my morning things done, let her know I'll see her before she leaves. Or well, hopefully anyways." I added as an afterthought, not wanting to promise anything. The servant nodded and bowed slightly before walking away, though my attention was hardly on her. I glanced out the window again before sighing, feeling a slight headache forming as I weakly tugged on the ice again. If I focused closely enough, I could figure out what direction he was in when he responded. It was annoying and childish of him to make everything harder for me considering our ages at this point, but I would have to work with it for now.

At the prime age of sixteen years, I had spent this entire morning and the weeks previous preparing for the biggest exam of my life—the U.A. entrance exam. Shoto, the lucky and deserving bastard, had easily gotten in under father's recommendation while I was forced to prove myself through this test. I didn't know the exact circumstances the tests were held under, but I did know there was both a written test and a practical test. Endurant had at least remembered enough about his years at U.A. to give me a few tips during my training when Katsuki wasn't around to clash with.

"Ah, you're entering U.A.? Oh, wait, silly me, of course Endeavor's kid would be going to the top school. I'm an alumnus myself you know? I wasn't top of the class or anything, but I ended up a pro hero so who cares? Haha!" Endurant's booming laugh rattled the bones in my body as I sat on the mat, performing a few warm-up stretches before we began for the day.

"Was the exam hard?" He quirked an eyebrow at her before snorting, nearly knocking me flat on my face when his large hand clapped my back a little harder than intended. I simply winced, rubbing my back while Endurant laughed obliviously.

"Hard? Homura-chan, there's a reason U.A. is the best of the best. If you think it's going to be easy there, then you better give it up now. If I remember correctly…there was this one teacher who expelled and entire group of first years...Can't remember who though!" Endurant rubbed his chin thoughtfully as I finished my exercise, slowly standing up and stretching a bit more as I waited for him.

"If I ever say I want an easy life I give you permission to expel me yourself." I deadpanned, Endurant snorting as his massive form rose from the ground and easily slid in to a stance. His darker skin seemed to crack and shift under my gaze, as if knew our quirk by heart.

"What, and have to explain that to your father? Have mercy Homura-chan."

I grinned cheekily, fire engulfing my fist and I swung forward, meeting the hard flesh of his arm as expected.

"No can-do Sensei – I've got to make it to the top where there's no such thing as mercy!"

Blue eyes met gold and soon we were in our own world, oblivious to anything that was not in the ring.

Of course, I didn't believe than then and certainly not now, the thought of constantly competing with my twin for the next few years unnerving. He had closed himself off from me for good some few years ago, but there was still that lingering hesitation when I met his eyes and say that one boy who hugged me and babbled on about his dreams. There had been times when I wondered if he even cared anymore or even thought about me, but I had decided long ago how unproductive and fruitless those thoughts would be.

I quietly slid open the screen doors and peeked outside, looking for that familiar mop of red and white that was sure to be around somewhere. I squinted in the darkness before I caught sight of my target, pushing down the instinctive anger and calmly sliding the door shut behind me as I crossed the field. Shoto began to slow a bit when he noticed he was no longer alone, his breathing a bit ragged from his rather intense run around the household. Ice clung to the back of his simple white shirt as he cooled himself, his hands resting on his black cargo shorts as he crouched for a moment. I jogged up to him at an easy pace, quirking an eyebrow.

"You know what I'm here for. Stop avoiding it." I spoke curtly, keeping my emotions well out of reach of my words. He simply stared at the ground for a moment before rising, his eyes sliding over to me without a hint of emotion. The tension in the air thickened considerably as we made eye contact, neither of us willing to back down from this intense standoff. Shoto finally broke the silence after a few seconds, closing his eyes and sighing.

"I'm not avoiding anything. The exams aren't until later – you don't need it now," I felt my smile twitch slightly, threatening to break.

"So? I shouldn't have to come out here and ask. You're not doing anything today, so just give it to me now. I can practice with it before I leave," my tone was eerily level, Shoto simply glancing away.

"Later. Go away, I don't have time for you right now. I'll give it to you before you leave," Shoto spared me a single second of pure anger before he took off jogging again, my fists curling as I trembled and prodded at the ice. He held it tightly, unrelenting despite my increased pressure. Fire stirred within me slightly at the boiling emotions, but years of training had allowed me to restrain both myself and our quirk. It simply simmered down once more, lying in wait for whatever I had in store.

My brother was stubborn, and at this point seemed like he wanted to remain miserable for the rest of his days. Technically our relationship had improved a bit, but it was due to our mutual acknowledgement that we simply couldn't ignore each other forever. It was redundant and stupid and while I had hoped we could have resolved more of our problems, I was secretly grateful he at least acknowledged and spoke to me. It didn't stop him from being an insufferable and inconsiderate brat, however, and I found myself immersing my body in an ice-cold bath to soothe the raging emotions within me as I prepared myself.

I wandered out in to the kitchen roughly twenty minutes later, my hair bound up with a towel as I sauntered over to Fuyumi. She snorted a bit, cocking an eyebrow.

"Aren't you supposed to be getting ready Homura-chan? I thought you'd go for something cuter." she admitted, reaching out to mess with the towel guarding my hair before I gently slapped her hand away. I glanced down at my outfit, a simple white form-fitting long sleeved black shirt adorning my chest with a pair of reasonable length black shorts to match. They were simple, practical, and heat resistant as well. As for my boots, well, I had easily stolen them out of Shoto's room since he didn't really need them now. I hadn't thought of it before, but the small spikes on the bottom were incredibly useful when forming ice beneath my feet and I could see myself incorporating it in to my future hero costume. Personally, I thought it was a cute outfit.

"Eh, you don't think it's cute? I mean I'd rather not get hurt instead of look good, but I thought I compromised pretty well this time. Besides, I'm going to be wearing a uniform for the next three years Nee-san." I pointed out logically, Fuyumi chuckling. I gave her a look over myself, nodding in approval moments later.

"If anything, you look cute Fuyumi-sensei." I teased, dodging back a bit to avoid her retaliation slap. She shook her head, rolling her eyes slightly before glancing at a small watch on her arm.

"Homura-chan…Oh, I have to go. Make sure you eat enough, I'm sure you'll be pretty winded after an exam like that. I'll see you later." she patted the towel carefully, though it fell apart anyways much to my overdramatic horror. I even held my hand to my chest for emphasis, trying to manage my unruly hair as it burst out of the towel. Fuyumi simply laughed before leaving the room, though my attention was now on my hair as I began to rein it back in.

I ended up letting my hair flow as it pleased as I sat down to eat a quick bowl of cereal, idly twirling a strand through my fingers as I ate. Shoto had always looked like an exact split between our parents while I leaned more towards father, though there were at least a few traces of mother in my hair. Red hair all but dominated my head, only a few locks of white sticking out on my right side. My father's genetic had laid claim to both of my eyes, and sometimes I wondered if that was who he saw when Shoto met my gaze. He tried to hide it, but I was his twin – I could tell when he was looking at something else in my eyes. It hurt a bit, but after sixteen years of this life, it was only a dull pain that throbbed from time to time.

I eventually cleaned up my meal, clearing away my thoughts as I walked back to my room, nearly colliding with Shoto as I turned a corner. We both stared at each other, shaken from whatever thoughts were plaguing us both. Shoto recovered first, straightening up a bit and give me a quick look over. I was about to say something, which probably would have been petty and uncalled for, when I felt the sudden pressure within. I blinked, glancing down at my hands as the ice nestled its way in to my core. Fire and Ice merged peacefully, and though I felt a dull sense of despair, there was an odd calmness to the ice. My eyes flickered over to Shoto and for the first time, I could see a sense of weariness in his eyes.

"Take it, but if I were you, I wouldn't try too hard Homura-chan." Our eyes locked, the tenseness rising once more as my mind turned over his words. I frowned.

"What's that supposed to mean, Shoto-kun?" He seemed to study me, and though he did not mention it, I could tell he was sizing himself up against me. I could tell he assumed he was better, and if I were to be honest, he probably was. I didn't have to admit it though.

"I don't want you in my class. You're better off in a lesser class." I'm better off without you, went unsaid but I could easily read between the lines. I narrowed my eyes and clenched my fists, giving him a look over myself before I finally crossed my arms over my chest.

"Yeah, Shoto-kun? I guess you're going to be really disappointed then, because I'm going to be the best. Maybe you're the one who needs to be knocked down a few pegs." I snapped, bristling with anger before roughly shoving past him. Shoto flinched a bit, but made no attempt to appeal to me whatsoever. He simply started walking again, his footsteps disappearing as we both wandered off to opposites sides of the house. I eventually found myself in my room, fixing up my hair as I glared at myself in the mirror.

I couldn't let him get to me, not today of all days.

The school itself was incredible to behold with your own eyes rather than images on a computer. From the modern aesthetic to the intimidating wall surrounding the grounds, it was easy to tell this was a school worth attending. If I hadn't been training practically all my life for this school, I might have stood there gaping like an idiot for well over an hour. The same could not be said for Izuku, who against all my expectations, was farther ahead of my gaping like an idiot. I blinked, staring at my very quirkless idiot of a friend as he seemed to stumble forward on his own, avoiding an embarrassing faceplant with the help of another potential student. I quirked an eyebrow at their interaction, initially making a move to join them until I noticed Izuku's plain as day meltdown, opting to wait until the girl left and his awkwardness finally subsided. As she bounced along ahead, I meandered over to Izuku and snorted.

"Izuku-kun, you good there? How are you going to take this test if you pass out on the steps?" I teased, his face flushing in response as he glanced over at me.

"A-ah, Homura-chan! I-im fine…I just…she…a girl...a girl talked to me..!" he finally squealed, nearly bursting my eardrum with the sudden increase in pitch.

"What, am I not a girl? I think I'm offended," I joked, Izuku's panic suddenly increasing tenfold as he began bumbling around like an idiot. I simply ruffled his hair, trying to guide him up the steps before he fell. He laughed nervously, bowing his head a bit.

"Ah, sorry Homura-chan! I just…Kaachan was here earlier and then I talked to a girl. I guess everything's different at U.A. huh?" he smiled softly, tugging at my heart just a bit.

"Kaachan, huh? That bastard already got here before me? That's a shame, I had a few choice words from Sensei, but I guess they'll have to wait till later. Just…stay safe alright Izuku-kun?" I felt a bit guilty for doubting him, but just between Katsuki and my quirk, he was clearly outmatched. To think that my quirkless friend might be facing off against even more dangerous quirks, or even my brother, was unsettling and disturbing to say the least. An odd expression passed over his face as he glanced down at his hand, clenching his fist and breathing evenly.

"Don't worry Homura-chan, I'll be okay. We're going to get in to the heroics course together!"

It was an old feeling, one I hadn't experienced in a long while, but the slight pinching between my eyes seemed to ease away my worry.

All Might. One for all. Hero.

For all my logic and assumptions, I couldn't find it within me to worry too much for Izuku.

He would do just fine.

At least, I was convinced Izuku would absolutely ace the written portion of the exam. Despite his condition, Izuku's intellect and analyzing skills were practically unrivalled even by some quirks. I practically vibrated in my seat out of sheer nerves as we all lounged around in a large auditorium, waiting with bated breath for the practical portion of the exam to begin. It was insane how many applicants there were, with different physical quirks of all kinds visible from my vantage point. I had been assigned to a seat at the very top, which was just fine with me as I scoped out my potential classmates. It was a bit difficult to see without a vision-enhancing quirk, but I caught sight of a familiar green mop somewhere within the crowd. I leaned forward a bit in my seat, trying to get a better glimpse of my competition, before someone interrupted my investigating.

"Hey, you, you got some kind of eye quirk going on there?" I jolted a bit at the sudden intrusion, having not expected anybody to pay much attention to me. In fact, I nearly fell forward from the shock, only to have strong arms grab my wrist and yank me back before I made a fool of myself. I stared blankly above me for a second, dazed, before my attention was drawn towards the owner of the voice. His bright red hair caught my gaze immediately, and for a second I could have sworn I was looking at Sora.

"Oh man, my bad, I didn't mean to startle you? Shit, you okay?" The red-haired boy tilted his head, looking downright concerned and somewhat guilty. I blinked a few more times before I laughed a bit, absentmindedly pulling on the ponytail I had set up for today's practical.

"Oh man, sorry you totally startled me. I thought most people didn't want to talk to their competition here. Sorry about that, but no I don't have a vision quirk. I'd show you, but it's not safe in here." I gestured towards our cramped surroundings and he nodded, crossing his arms for a moment before suddenly puffing out his chest. I almost laughed. I caught myself just in time, simply staring.

"Nah, I get it. Sorry I was just curious. I mean I guess we should ignore each other since we're competition, but it doesn't hurt to meet a few people. Speaking of, I'm Kirishima Eijiro! Nice to meet you!" he grinned and I instantly felt any caution fly away with the wind. He held up his fist in a familiar gesture and I returned his smile, responding to his odd but friendly demeanor with a fist bump.

"Yeah, it's not bad at all. I'm Todoroki Homura. It's nice to meet you Kirishima-kun. Maybe we'll both pass and end up in the same, yeah?" he seemed to approve of the thought, smirking before he connected the dots with my name. His eyes widened, and he looked me over not once, but twice, before nodding his head in approval. I felt a bit of my caution return.

"Oh, you're Endeavor's kid! Man, that's so cool! Your quirk must be really something! You know, I'd really like to fight you someday. A friendly spar of sorts" he added hastily, hoping to not come off as rude. I simply snorted and rolled my eyes slightly. How in the world did I end up knowing almost every boy whose bonding activity involves fighting?

"I guess so. My family name doesn't mean anything though honestly. I'm sitting here taking the exam after all instead of just getting in. I have to prove my worth too." I sighed, leaning back in my chair. Kirishima grinned, his slightly sharpened teeth catching my eye for a moment.

"Yeah, the only thing that means anything is how manly you are" That was about the point he lost me, and though I quietly listened to his ramblings, his words were soon drowned out by the loudest voice I had ever heard. I almost had to cover my ears, jolted out of my daze by the appearance of another famous figure.

"~WELCOME ONE AND ALL TO MY LIVE SHOW!~" his voice rattled the very foundations of the building and I could have sworn I saw a few kids topple out of their seats. "~EVERYBODY SAY HEEEEEEY!~"

Dead silence. I had been tempted to join along, but the sheer amount of silence choked the courage right out of me. I simply sat there meekly, twiddling and thumbs and staring at the desk as the awkward silence seemed to continue forever. Luckily, Present Mic seemed immune to any form of social standards or mistakes.

"I'VE GOT SHIVERS DOWN MY SPINE TOO LISTENERS! ALL RIGHT EXAMINEES, I'M GONNA GIVE YOU A LOW DOWN ON HOW THIS'LL GO DOWN! ARE YOU READY?"

Prior to Present mic finishing his sentence, Kirishima nudged me quietly. "Hey, tell you what, you prove your manliness and shout with him and I'll give you this." I noticed a tiny wad of cash peeking out of his pocket and I snorted, staring him down.

"You're trying to bribe a rich kid with money. Do you know how silly that sounds?" He grinned, nodding. I almost bust a gut keeping myself from laughing at the sheer oddness of it, but I could admire his boldness. I glanced over at Present Mic before sighing, sucking in every bit of sheer nerves and awkwardness and hugging it tight within me. This was probably the boldest, stupidest, and silliest thing I had ever done, and father would be sure to hear about it. His face would probably be priceless. I carefully stood up and climbed on my chair, already gathering attention from those around me as Present Mic called for a response.

"I'M READY, YEAAAH!" I practically screamed, nearly knocking myself over. Kirishima steadied my chair with difficulty, trembling from the effort of containing his laughter. I felt myself flush slightly as I felt hundreds of eyes, including the people I knew personally, stare at me with judgment. I breathed n carefully, hardening my resolve and staring right over at Present Mic, who looked absolutely delighted.

"YEEEEAH! THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT, LISTENER. SHOUT OUT TO THIS EXAMINEE!" I felt mortified, humiliated and absolutely awkward, but raised a fist in the air nonetheless and lowered myself back in to my seat. Kirishima slapped my back as he howled with laughter, practically tearing up with mirth.

"Holy crap, that was amazing. You're practically my hero now, wow! I can't believe you did that for money and you're rich!" I wasn't sure how he managed to speak so coherently giving his inability to breath, but I simply gave him a weak smile in return as my nerves rattled.

"I'm not thinking about money. Thinking about what Endeavor is going to think when he hears about this."

"Oh my god! Ha, ha, ha!" Eventually Kirishima settled down after a few glares from surrounding candidates, though how they heard him over Present's Mic voice was beyond me.

"ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT! NOW PAY ATTENTION, LISTENERS! WE'LL BE TESTING YOUR METTLE BY RUNNING A TEN-MINUTE PRACTICE RUN AT OUR REPLICA CITY-DISTRICT!"

"If anything, you already tested your mettle by standing up and shouting like that" Kirishima snickered, and I resisted the urge to smack him.

"YOU CAN TAKE WHATEVER YOU LIKE! EVERYBODY GATHER AT THE DESIGNATED MEETING AREAS AFTER THE PRESENTATION, YA DIG?"

I glanced down at the card I had been given after the written portion of the exam, praying I would be with someone I knew. After that little stunt, if I didn't have somebody to talk to I wasn't sure if my nerves would fail me or not. Kirishima glanced at his own card before peeking at mine, frowning.

"Ah, dang, looks like we're separate. Now I can't test my strength against yours," he grimaced, and I snorted, turning my attention back to Present Mic's theatrics.

"WE'LL BE SPRINKLING A LARGE NUMBER OF 'VILLIANS' ALL OVER THE BATTLEFIELD! AND THEY'LL APPEAR IN THREE DIFFERENT VARITIES, WITH POINT VALUES SCALED ACCORDING TO DIFFICULTY"

"You couldn't even if you wanted to. We're fighting robots, not each other," I pointed out and Kirishima simply shook his head. "I could have measured my points against yours! There's always a way to test manliness!"

"USING EACH OF YOUR INDIVIDUAL QUIRKS, DISPATCH AS MANY 'VILLIANS' AS YOU CAN! YOUR GOAL, LISTENERS, IS TO RACK UP AS MANY POINTS AS YOU CAN! AND DON'T THINK ABOUT ATTACKING OTHER COMPETITORS OR ANY NASTY ANTI-HERO STUFF, BECAUSE THAT'S AGAINST THE RULES, CAPICHE?"

I felt a bit of my worry regarding Izuku dissipate after hearing that – if anything, other competitors would destroy the robots before they could harm him. He would probably end up disappointed and dejected, but he would be safe. I glanced over at the familiar mop of hair, narrowing my eyes at the other familiar head next to him, before my thoughts were derailed by an incredibly strange boy. He ranted about the specifics of everything, and I found myself labelling him as a rich kid before I could blink an eye. As soon as he began to yell at Izuku, however, I felt my anger began to boil. It took all my strength to rein back our quirk, ignoring the scattered laughter at my friend's expense.

After that, I dozed off slightly as Present Mic went over the last remaining rules before shoving all of us out. Clutching my card carefully, I found myself wandering around until I spotted a familiar blonde-haired kid growling and practically biting anybody who came in to range. I scowled, cursing my luck as I approached the group carefully. Their eyes practically attacked me as I approached, suddenly feeling incredibly small in the overwhelming face of attention. I swallowed quietly.

"You…you fucking freak I had to get you here?!" Katsuki scowled, jabbing his finger practically in my face as I approached the gathering of kids. Ignoring the temptation to bite his finger, I simply shoved it out of the way, grinning.

"Looks like I'm just as unlucky. Or maybe I'm lucky, we know who has the higher record at the dojo." I grinned, figurative steam blowing out of the boy's ears. He grasped the front of my shirt carefully, my hand immediately snagging his wrist, and we stared each other down for a good thirty seconds before the announcements broke us up. We both stumbled a bit, still glaring, but unwilling to compromise our exam as the alarms sounded and everything broke in to chaos.

It was incredibly easy fighting these robots after years of sparring with real people. They were laughably weak and easy to predict, my fire melting through their circuits and my ice breaking through every nook and cranny. I dodged the insane crowd of kids, weaving my way through bodies as I maneuvered our quirk around them, trying to avoid hitting anybody. I could have easily let loose and set fire to a good chunk of the district, but not without possibly harming somebody in the process. If I wanted to be a hero, I couldn't always take the easy way out.

I caught sight of Katsuki in my vicinity and he was vicious. Our training had paid off for both of us—our quirks shredding everything that can within three feet that wasn't a fellow competitor. His technique as especially clever, using his quirk to blow other robots in to each other to minimize his quirk use. I had seen the damage it could do to his hand before – compensating by using them to annihilate each other was clever and practical.

For our quirk, most of the side effects were negated by the fact that I was currently duel wielding. I had to concentrate to keep them both in line as I guided my wave of destruction through robots, but I was mostly okay. I could feel my body trembling from the effort I was putting in, fully determined to grab the top slot if only to irritate my brother. It probably wasn't the most heroic reason for entering the academy, but I had every intention of graduating to save people as a pro hero. Showing up my brother and eventually breaking through his ice just happened to be a bonus of this arrangement.

There was roughly two minutes left in the practical when the entire ground shook, causing my to nearly lose control and accidentally strike a fellow student. I quickly used my ice to shove them out of the way, apologizing profusely as I tried to figure out what the hell was going on. I could hear distant similar explosions sounding off from various locations and I knew this was happening in the other sections as well.

"Run, get out of the way!" I practically screamed as the buildings around us seemed to explode from the power of the massive robot that had entered the arena, sending debris flying everywhere. I cursed, pulling on my ice as hard as I could to bring up massive walls. They were not incredibly sturdy, but they would hold long enough for people to move. I caught sight of Katsuki and an idea formed in my head, regardless of how hard it was to think with everything blowing up around me.

"Hey bastard, come help me with this! We take this beast down, then nobody can get hurt!" I shouted, dodging large chunks of debris as the robot tore through the district. I quickly abandoned my makeshift ice wall, running towards the other boy who was still somehow fighting for points despite the behemoth towering over us. He sneered at me, baring his fangs.

"Why the fuck should I care about all of you extras? I only need to worry about my fucking self! Get lost, bitch!" he snarled, a robot exploding between his palms as he eyed him warily. I half expected him to grow aggressively territorial as I edged closer to the robot, scowling and trembling from all the running and fighting earlier. I didn't have the firepower necessary to take down something that big without losing control, and I couldn't risk that with people still around. However, if Katsuki and I combined our quirks, I was sure we could knock this thing down. I just had to knock some sense in to his thick skull first.

"You don't have to care about shit, for all I care! But you think they're really going to put something that big in the middle of everything for no worth at all? Why don't you put your brain to work instead of your palms and help me take this thing down!" I snapped, my ice disappearing as the fire burst out from my side. Katsuki looked positively murderous, eyes glinting dangerously as he stared me down. He snarled, rubbing his face for a moment before clenching his fists and storming over.

"Fine! But if you're fucking wrong, I'll kill you myself! Got it?" he snapped, clenching his fists as he stormed over to my position. I rolled my eyes at the empty threat, instead readying the fire within as I suddenly took his wrist, the boy flinching for a second before relaxing.

It had been an accident that we discovered the rather…violate and devastating effects of our quirks combined when we utilized them correctly. Endurant had been in a rather snappy mood after we nearly blew up the entire dojo, but thankfully father had paid for the damages. I think he was rather pleased with my sudden talent , but there was no time to think about past shenanigans. The two of us narrowed our eyes, our palms eventually meeting together as we fired off our quirks at once, a massively controlled explosion firing towards the robot in front of us. We were both blasted back by the intense recoil, my ice snaking out quickly to form a barrier behind us before we flew too far. I hit the ice with a sickening crack, jolting from the sudden shock before I slumped to the ground. I gritted my teeth, glancing over at Katsuki who cradled his severely burned hand to his chest, practically radiating anger as we waited for the smoke to clear form our combined attack.

The smoke cleared slowly, the robot's mechanical body slowly coming in to view as it teetered forwards. With a sudden burst of panic, I brought a dome of ice over the two of us, knowing we were a bit too injured to make it out of the crash zone. The ice was still weak despite my training and would likely crumble under the weight, but I had to do something to keep us alive. As the shadow of the robot fell over us, my eyes began to practically burn as another image seemed to overlap over the current reality.

 _A girl, crushed un the debris, unable to move as the robot edged dangerously close. A hero flew forward, his will to save her overriding his will to pass, his fist flying forward and destroying the robot._

 _Pain._

 _All he felt was pain as he fell back, accepting his fate knowing he had saved the girl. Karma. She saved his life, slapped him silly but saved him from dying. He was a hero, but so severely disadvantaged. He would be a true hero._

I blinked, vaguely aware of the boy next to me bristling with fury, opening his palm and reaching upwards towards the approaching debris of the robot.

"I'm not dying here you fucker! DIE!" he snarled, an explosion blasting out of his undamaged hand, shredding through the ice and blasting through the parts of the robot that would have otherwise landed on the two of us. I covered my face with my arm, the ground shaking dangerously around us as piece seemed to land everywhere but on top of us. I carefully brought my hand up, blasting flame myself to help Katsuki clear the debris threatening to crush us.

"Oh my god, holy shit, oh my god." I wheezed as the dust settled around us, my back practically burning from the fall I had taken earlier. I was lucky my body was mostly immune to fire, though the sleeves of my shirt could not resist the sheer power from Katsuki and my explosion. The boy was trembling, his fists clenched as he stared at the sky. His head whipped around at me suddenly, eyes narrowing in disgust.

"Y-you fucking b-bitch. This better have not been a waste of my fucking time." he snarled, though his anger was somewhat dulled by his own weakness. His hands were practically burned raw from the power, and I felt a little guilty considering I mostly got away scot free. I carefully scooted over to him, the boy automatically recoiling as if repulsed. I scowled.

"Chill bastard, I can ease your burns with my ice. Unless you want to keep looking like you're about to die? Not the best image of a hero, eh?" He was immediately triggered by my jibe, his figurative hackles rising for a moment before he eventually relented, looking away. I snorted, raising my hand to cover his burns with a thin ice. The ice would cling for a little bit, but if he didn't see medical attention soon they would simply melt, and the pain would return.

I could hear people muttering around us, approaching the devastation cautiously as the alarms sounded the end of the exam. A few even approached me to help me up, an offer I gladly took as I held my hand to my back. Katsuki, the brat that he was, snarled at anybody who tried to get near him, preferring to walk with his own two feet. I was not stupid and prideful, however, and happily accepted the help of a fellow candidate as we limped out of the wreckage.

"Ah, more injured students! Please come here, I'll heal your wounds!" I blinked at the incredibly small young woman before me as I was carted towards her, stunned in to silence when she gave me a little kiss. I nearly toppled over out of exhaustion, completely dazed but free from the pain.

"Oh wow, what an amazing quirk, but I'm so damn tired…" I muttered weakly.

The old woman chuckled lightly.

"Yes, my quirk speeds up the regeneration of your body, but it uses your stamina. You're lucky you weren't hurt like that poor green-haired boy from the other district. Passed out cold." she muttered, shaking her head.

"Green-haired…, is he okay? Oh my god!" My eyes bulged at the thought of Izuku's battered body, my panic overwriting any exhaustion I felt. I nearly toppled over again, silently thanking the student who was still somehow putting up with my antics. She merely grinned awkwardly, helping me sit down before I panicked anymore.

"Oh, he's fine now, my quirk healed his entire body. But with that much damage, it takes a lot of stamina. He'll be fine." She assured me. And while the worry lingered, I was relieved to know he would live.

"Serves that stupid fucking Deku right, entering an exam like this. He should have been fucking killed," Katsuki snorted and I scowled, glaring at him. He simply smirked at me, unfazed as he tried to walk past the woman. She took one look at his arm and instantly kissed his elbow, Katsuki shrieking out obscenities out of shock. I couldn't help but laugh wearily, falling backwards on my newly healed back.

Damn, what an exam that had been. I didn't even know if I passed yet.

A week later found me lying on my bed after a rigorous workout, my body splayed out like a starfish as I stared at the ceiling and evened out my breathing. My hair was unbounded and wild, a few strands plastered to my sweat-stained face as I relaxed.

The night I returned from the exam, I had practically passed out on the doorsteps. I had been healed of course, but the exhaustion was strong, and I barely fended off Fuyumi's concerns as I stumbled towards my room. Father had visited me before I slept of course, surprisingly pleased with my performance. He had been a bit disgruntled by my outburst in the auditorium – I start giggling deliriously when he brought it up – but I had met his standards and more. At that point, I knew I was guaranteed a spot in U.A. and promptly passed out.

Yet, it wasn't official until I got a notice from the school with my acceptance letter. I pulled my pillow carefully over my head, closing my eyes and breathing softly as I willed my body to cool down. I could have maybe swiped Ice back, but Shoto had been particularly stubborn since hearing about my exam results. Both he and I knew we were likely to end up in the same class, a fact he absolutely hated. He had also been upset about the shoe theft, but it had been a necessity and I merely shrugged him off when he cornered me about it.

That was only a few days ago, however, and now I simply waited in anticipation. My thoughts wandered back to Izuku, who I hadn't seen since the exam ended. I wanted to visit him when I heard he was in the nurse's, but Recovery Girl had insisted he simply needed rest at this point. I occasionally checked my phone, hoping he might text at some point, but I knew that he was likely hurting. There was no way he would have made enough points, let alone a single point, to pass with the rest of us. Katsuki and I, to my utter disappointment, were likely battling for first place if my observations were correct. Kirishima might have passed, but he had never mentioned his quirk when we spoke. There had been a few potentials in my group as well, but between gathering my own points and fighting that behemoth, I never really got around to scoping out the others. I would have to wait until classes began to find out.

"Homura-chan, you have a mail!" Fuyumi's excitement had me off the bed in an instant, pillow sent flying as I nearly fell out of bed in my rush. I hopped out of my room, momentarily blinded by my wild hair as I dashed in to the kitchen.

"Is it here? My letter? Did I get in?!" I babbled, my eyes practically shining with stars as I caught sight of the official letter. Fuyumi held it out to me and I narrowly avoided scratching her hand in my haste, silently apologizing as I ripped open the letter. I glanced over it carefully, my eyes scanning the words repeatedly before I threw the letter in the air.

"I made it! I'm going to U.A.!" I cheered, throwing my arms up in the air. Fuyumi clapped her hands, beaming brightly before pulling me in to a warm sisterly embrace.

"You had doubts Homura-chan? You, of all people, had doubts?" she teased, and I snorted, pushing her away before she could mess my hair up any further.

"You should have seen some of the people there Ne-san! Some of their quirks were really something. Oh, I didn't check my ranking!" I flushed slightly at my mistake, Fuyumi giggling as I glanced longer at the letter.

Between Katsuki and I, we had both tied for first place with a whopping 90 points each. "Oh man, that bastard is going to be so angry, ha ha!" I cackled at the thought, holding the letter to my chest as though it were a family heirloom.

"Oh, we should see if Sora-kun and Kaito-kun are available Homura-chan. They'd love to hear about your acceptance!" Fuyumi suggested, and I nodded, immediately dashing to my room before she could even blink. She laughed softly before followed me to my room, sitting on the bed carefully as I brought out my laptop.

Kaito and Sora had both left for college together ages ago, but they still rang from time to time. They had been particularly interested in my schooling themselves, so I had no doubt they would be thrilled to hear about my acceptance. I had missed them desperately over the years, longing for that soothing hug from Sora from time to time. I even occasionally wanted Kaito's hug, the stress and hurt from torn relationships too much to bear on my own. At the very least, I could video chat with them when they were available.

"Homura-chan~ It's been a while, I thought you'd forgotten about me!" Sora's voice was slightly distorted through the video chat but coherent nonetheless, and I swore I could hear Kaito snort in the background somewhere. Fuyumi and I crowded around the screen, though with Sora's face way too close, it was hard to see much of anything.

"Nii-san, you're too close back up. Where's Kaito? Is he not there? I'm going to be really mad it's been a long time." I muttered, slightly annoyed when Sora chuckled mischievously before pulling back and allowing the other brother room.

"Sorry, Sora-kun's head is sometimes a little too warm for him to think. He's lucky he's passing his classes as it is." Kaito teased, dodging back a bit as Sora went to punch him. The brothers seemed close to a brawl for a moment before I coughed, interrupting the impending battle.

"Hey, wait till the video is over before you do that. I need attention first. I have some really good news." my voice rose a bit towards the end, excitement bleeding in against my will. My brothers exchanged glances before focusing on me, Sora narrowing his eyes.

"…You didn't get a boyfriend already did you?" I frowned, rolling my eyes.

"No, I didn't, and you promised you wouldn't interfere if I did!" I added, pouting slightly. Sora laughed while Kaito snorted.

"Homura-chan we're therapists in training, I think we'll be fine analyzing your boyfriends to make sure they're sane without weirding them out." I stared at him blankly.

"That entire sentence soun—ack, wait no we're getting off topic! I got in to U.A. officially, top of the scores!" I exclaimed, Sora and Kaito blinking before large smiles appeared on their faces. Sora looked ecstatic while Kaito simply beamed with pride.

"Oh my god, you did it! You're going to be an amazing hero Homura-chan!"

"Congratulations Homura-chan, I bet I'll be seeing you on the news soon then?"

I beamed with pride, greedily taking in all the compliments I could get. Fuyumi laughed at my obviousness, covering my ears quickly.

"Careful, you'll inflate her ego even more. Besides, I've got to get to work and I think she has a few friends to call." Fuyumi reminded me gently and I sighed dramatically before relenting.

"I don't have an ego, I think I deserve a bit of praise for that exam. It was difficult. But yeah, I gotta talk to my sparring partner and friend. I'll talk to you guys later. Don't do anything dumb Nii-san." I teased, giggling at Sora's outraged expression as the feed cut.

I nearly dropped the laptop when I caught sight of Shoto standing outside the door, looking very much like a deer in headlights. Fuyumi and I exchanged glances before she approached Shoto while I maintained a blank expression.

"If you wanted to talk to Sora-kun and Kaito-kun, you could have said something," she spoke gently and cautiously, as if unsure how to approach the teen. He simply shook his head at the older woman, his gaze falling on me instead.

"I don't want to talk to them. I'm here to talk to Homura-chan," I quirked an eyebrow but said nothing, simply nodding to Fuyumi. She looked a bit uneasy, but left us to ourselves. I stared at my twin, crossing my arms over my chest after setting the laptop aside.

"Alright, what do you want? You don't usually need me so…" my voice trailed off, shuddering slightly but otherwise giving no indication of my thoughts. If Shoto picked up on it, he simply ignored it. He looked away for a moment, as if unable to decide on how to speak.

"I wanted to congratulate you, actually. But…" Of course, there was always something else to add along with anything decent he had to say. There was always a catch and it was frustrating. He wouldn't explain or even try to communicate with me. I simply scowled, waiting for him to continue. He seemed to catch the hint, sighing.

"I know we're sibling, twins." I raised an eyebrow, having assumed that by this point he had forgotten that detail. I didn't interrupt though. "But I know we will end up in the same class. I didn't want you there and I still don't, but you did good. I just want you to know…I won't hold back even if you are my sister Homura-chan. I'm not going to let you become a hero if I have any say." I narrowed my eyes viciously in an instant, standing up immediately. I bit back on the fire, holding it tightly.

"Oh no, you don't get to tell me we're twins and then tell me you won't let me have a dream. You don't get to have a say in this Shoto-kun." I spat, fists clenched as I continued without letting him speak. "I know what you're trying to do, but it's not going to work. I won't stop trying to be the top, but I'm not going to fight you. I'm not going to crush my twin over some stupid ranking. That will never change." Shoto flinched at my words, backing up slightly before taking a deep breath.

"That's fine Homura-chan. It will only make you easier to beat," With that, he left before I could retaliate, my scowl deepening. My brother was just such a prideful and arrogant idiot! He couldn't just be happy for me, he had to go and ruin everything.

I threw myself on to my bed, burying my head in my arms for a moment before the sound of my phone's ringtone caught my attention. I left it there for a few seconds longer before I finally reached for it, checking my messages. I blinked, staring wide-eyed at the message from Izuku.

He had passed.

* * *

 **A/N: I had to sprinkle a little drama here and there, but this was definitely one of the more chiller chapters. I still don't know who, if I even want to, I'd end up shipping her with. There's a lot of different characters I could see her forming a strong bond with based on certain things. I might put it up to vote later, but for now this will be shipless. Let her adjust to her new environment and classmates.**

 **I beat you'd all boo me off the site if I chose Mineta though LOL**


	8. Preparations

**A/N: This chapter was kinda hard, but still reasonably lengthed woo-hoo! Once again, special thanks to my beta Wakacchi!**

 **I tried to explore character relations in this chapter - I don't want to jump right in to canon. Like I promised, plenty of filler to keep it interesting! Also, super excited more reviews to respond to ; more people to talk to and take suggestions from! Thank you guys so much! 3**

 **In Brightest Day - Personally, Tsuyu is probably my favorite female in class 1-A. She's an amazing character imo! I don't think I could ever make a character that would ever pair off with Mineta. I'm so repulsed by him that every OC I'd try to make would just...insta reject him. Unless they give him something redeemable in the future lololol.**

 **Guest #1 - More cute ship names eep! *-* 3**

 **Guest #2 - Oh man, I'm really excited for a few particular parts - the festival and their little tag team battles. I've got so much to do for those - definetly expect long and probably multiple chapters for those.**

 **Saber007 - God, I know! It's one of the couples I'd be considering tbh. The whole sibling thing with the two of them would be an interesting dynamic to play off of.**

 **HaPPy2901 - Ah yes, I really like how they play off of each other. Katsuki is a really difficult character to write though - I naturally try not to be a total jerk myself, so writing him is like really challenging. The fact that the creator made him such an asshole but still recognizable as a hero is amazing. You know what... I think they can! But to a lesser degree since Homura's better with the fire. She has more control and base power.**

 **And oh yes, pretty sure she was anxious for the rest of the exam after that lololol! And he's another favorite character of mine - another reason why I can't decide on a ship if I do one!**

 **As for that...its really complicated. I never really was fond of stories where they had the future information and automatically solved everything. There is an explanation for whats wrong with it - you'll have to read to find out - but I didn't want her heavily reliant on reading the future. I want her to carve her own path while trying to fix what she can. And she won't be able to fix everything (and can easily make it worse).**

 **And oh yeah, I write incredibly fast. I can easily write 10k words a day if I'm really feeling the inspiration. The longer the chapter, the more fun it was! Shorter chapters mean I had a harder time!**

 **Guest #3 - I was giggling while writing it myself - while also reeling for secondhand embarrassment! And he'll learn...eventually. You'll have to wait and see! ;)**

 **skidney - Thank you 3**

 **xenocanaan - Hehehe, you'll have to wait and see! ;) I've got plans for those interactions...can't spoil them though! ;)**

 **UnmemorableHermit - God I wish I could. Trust me, I've never felt such pure hatred for a character. I'm going to be cringing while I write him. haha.**

 **Yup, nothing says interesting like DRAMA! And yeah, I'm kind of the same way? I think a little bit is okay, but the baby years are so ungodly boring. I never found it in my best interest to tell you her struggle with crawling for ten straight paragraphs. I wanted to show their relationship as kids, how it evolved and important events, but otherwise the main time for this story will be canon. Sometimes it's okay, but not usually.**

* * *

"A pro hero's costume is more than simply fashion accessory or flashy designers outfit. It's an outfit that not only defines their entire career, but also is custom tailored to their individual quirks needs. Whether you need a special material to handle your quirk's aspects or additional support to protect your own body, the companies employed by U.A. for the daunting task of providing student costumes are dedicated to provide the absolute best in support gear…" I recited the words carefully, flipping through the pages while Izuku sat across from me, hanging on to every word as his body practically vibrated with excitement.

We both sat cross-legged on the floor of his room, the ungodly amount of All might Memorabilia was a minor eyesore at best after years of visiting. Visiting Izuku's had become a sort of escape for me over the years, only possibly thanks to Endurant's promise to keep my real training hours at the dojo a secret. As far as father was concerned, I was already at the dojo testing my mettle against Katsuki's explosive arrogance. In fact, I could still feel the lingering bruises from our session yesterday, his anger over Izuku's miraculous acceptance prompting him to up the ante when it came to our spars.

"How did you even get in to the academy anyways Izuku? I saw your scores, you literally had zero villain points. How in the world did you get 60 rescue points?" All my doubts about him meant nothing at this point, since apparently the sheer will to pass was all it took to get through the test apparently. I had a sneaking feeling there was more to the story, but I could hardly press the boy for anything more. Every time I even approached the topic, he became flustered and began stuttering out obvious lies. Even now I could see the panic settling in, Izuku gulped carefully as it took him a lot longer than it should have to answer my question.

"W-well, I saved this girl and all from being smashed. A-All Might even told me in the acceptance video himself they were grading for more than j-just combat ability." He eventually stuttered out, my eyebrow quirking at the mention of a video.

"Wait, what video? All I got was a letter." Izuku stared at me, tilting his head slightly.

"U-uh, yeah I got a video. Well, more like a video chat I guess? All Might was giving out the good news to everybody. I don't know why you got a simple letter" I snorted, the answer obvious.

"You remember my father is Endeavor, right? Permanent Number two hero under All Might forever? I think they took him into consideration when sending my letter." I shook my head at the mere thought, considering the property damage if father even so much as heard All Might's voice. The Academy was very considerate to family situations apparently.

"A-anyways, Homura-chan are you getting a costume through a private contractor? Since you father owns a huge agency and all, you'd probably get even better quality than the school's." Izuku commented idly, twirling his pen in his hand as he glanced down at the little pad in his lap. I had glanced at his notes earlier and promptly laughed at the obvious All Might-inspired costumes. But had not seen the current revisions since his latest scribbles. I glanced down at my own lap, a notebook of my own resting comfortably on my legs. I had a few concepts here and there, but nothing set in stone.

"Nah, don't you think that'd be too presumptuous? Besides, the school contractors are perfectly fine. Oto-san's companies would probably do something stupid and put a brand on my back or something. Imagine how tacky that would be!" Not to mention demeaning considering my father's personality, but that was something better kept to oneself. Izuku simply nodded along before his eyes widened suddenly, his head snapping down to his book as he jotted down a few more ideas. I smiled a bit at his enthusiasm before sighing, leaning back against his bed.

I didn't want to use my father's ideas or company, but at least they would have had something at this point. It was difficult considering all the applications of my quirk and the drawbacks that needed to be account for while at the same time looking somewhat cool. As vain and idiotic as it sounded, Pro heroes needed to look good if they really wanted to stand out among other heroes. I could have also opted to leave my costume up to the company itself, but if I was really unlucky, it would be someone really perverted handling my costume. I shuddered at the thought, my own pen nearly slipping from my fingers as I shook away the thought.

"Homura-chan? Are you okay?" Izuku stared at me, looking so genuinely concerned I had to bite back a laugh.

"Yeah, I'm fine. This whole costume thing…it's just really difficult you know? I don't want something tacky and obnoxious like Oto-san's costume, but I don't want to leave it up to some possibly perverted stranger with nothing better to do than design female high school costumes, you know?" Izuku's eyes widened and he flushed slightly at the implication, laughing nervously.

"A-ah, really? I never thought of that ever being a p-problem before." He muttered, and I rolled my eyes at his innocence. I guess it was a good thing though, since I could always count on him to not do anything weird when we were alone like this.

"Well yeah, you're a guy! Us girls have it a lot harder when it comes to costumes, especially when we can't control the entire design. We have to be really careful or we end up with something really weird." I complained, Izuku having the decency to look a bit sympathetic. He stood up suddenly, moving to sit beside me as he carefully took the book out of my lap.

"Well, how about I help you? I'm pretty sure my design is about done and ready for submission, so we can figure out yours together. Maybe we should start writing out your weaknesses, so we can get the technical stuff out of the way first? Then we can focus on looks." He suggested.

I sighed dramatically, smiling all the same.

"I mean it's pretty obvious I'm going to need a lot of temperature adjusting, especially since I usually only have Fire for the most part. Are there any fabrics that can adjust like that without a bunch of extra technical stuff attached? I don't want to have to worry about a bunch of devices shifting around." I rubbed my chin thoughtfully, Izuku just as deep in thought as I was before his eyes suddenly shimmered.

"Ah, you know what I was looking in to this new fabric someone was inventing! I don't know if they finished it, but it has its own web of polymers embedded in the fabric that expand in the cold and shrink in the heat. "

"Wait, like huge tubes sewed in to the cloth? Won't that look freaky?" I imagined large tubes covering my entire body and shuddered, Izuku giggling just a bit.

"No, no they're really small and embedded in the threads themselves. You can't even see them really. Anyways, they were designed to keep the wearer's temperature at around ninety-three degrees at all times. I bet you father wears something similar, though he probably only needs to keep his body colder rather than fluctuate it all the time. Why don't you ask him?" I grimaced at the question, looking up at the ceiling.

"Eh, Oto-san is difficult to handle for long periods of time. Besides, I think you're helpful enough." I grinned, Izuku rubbing his head nervously at the praise. He ducked his head down, hiding his face while I laughed. I giggled at bit and ruffled his hair myself, the boy practically squealing as he suddenly scooted away.

"H-Homura-chan!" he practically whined and I couldn't help but laugh harder, covering my face as I did my best to repress my amusement for his sake.

"I-I'm sorry Izuku-kun, you're just too weird and cute sometimes." I giggled, Izuku flushing a bright red at my words. Oops, I guess boys his age weren't too fond of being called cute. He was completely flustered at this point, prompting me to ease up a bit and give him a little mercy.

"Sorry, sorry didn't meant to tease you that much! Hey, come on, I still need your help with my costume! Izuku-kun, don't you dare pass out on me! Hey, Izuku-kun!"

* * *

I nearly passed out before I even hit the bed, my body fatigued from my earlier workout at the dojo. Katsuki had not shown up that day, which left me to spar with Endurant and compensating with extra time with the workout equipment. It left my body sore and my muscles aching, though it was nothing a hot shower and good night's rest couldn't fix. I sighed heavily, having already finished with my shower as I began to bury myself in my blankets, getting comfortable.

I hadn't actually finished my costume design with Izuku, the boy practically traumatized by mere teasing by a girl he even knew for years, and had instead worked on figuring out the technical requirements of my costume. I ended up researching at the library briefly, finding quite a bit on support items made for elemental quirks like ours. Still, while I had a long way to go before I had an acceptable request for the contractors, it was time to rest for the day. With one last stretch of my arms and an earth-shattering yawn, I closed my eyes and slipped away.

I slipped away farther than intended.

It had been sixteen years since I woke up in this world, and as time had passed, I had slowly forgotten this one crucial detail of my entire existence. Between dealing with my family, dealing with this newfound power, and trying to find some form of stability in my life, I had forgotten that this was not really where I belonged.

I opened my eyes and found myself in the darkness once again, and for a moment I assumed I had dreamed everything. My breath hitched, and I found myself shaking, quickly succumbing to a mini panic attack as I tried to figure out what was going on.

The fact that I could feel my movements was the only thing that kept me from a full meltdown, knowing that when I first arrived in the agonizing darkness I hadn't even truly existed. The fire lashed out within me, and to my surprise, flew out of my body and materialized in front of me. A miniature fire tornado formed, surprisingly tame considering its destructive capabilities before it eventually faded, revealing a woman.

She was clearly an adult, at least a foot or two taller than me, with long brown hair held together in a simple ponytail. Her eyes were closed for the moment, and though she stood as still as a statue, I could make out the faint rising of her chest as she breathed. Her body was covered by a simple pair of jeans with an equally dreary white blouse to match, though I could hardly bring myself to care what she was wearing. The real eye catcher was the fact that she didn't seem capable of materializing fully like myself, her body only half formed. Her right arm and both of her legs seemed to break apart in to floating shards towards the ends, and when she finally opened her eyes, both sockets were empty. Somehow, however, I felt her gaze on me and I couldn't help but stumble back a bit.

"Eh? I'm not sure what you're worried about. I can hardly do anything to you like this, now can I?" the woman snorted, and I found myself struggling to hear her. I stared at her quietly, trembling a bit as I tried to figure out what was going on. She seemed to read my thoughts, however, and giggled softly.

"Don't worry, you probably won't be here for too long. Lucky for you, little shard." her voice seemed bitter, but the nickname was what really caught me off guard.

"S-shard...?" I blinked, and she sighed, tilting her face away from me. I could see shards breaking off slowly from her side profile as well, and I knew she would not last long. She seemed like the remnants of something, and for whatever reason, those pieces were finally fading away for good. For some reason, I felt guilty and I could not figure out why.

"Yes, shard. I-we…You and I were one at some point. I'm the real person who lived a life. You are simply a shard, a fragment that broke off in the process, and yet somehow you got the body. You got the body, and I didn't…" her voice trailed off, her body's trembles causing more shards to break apart. She reached up carefully, fingertips grazing her shattered face.

"We were supposed to make it through as one. You and I were not meant to split, and yet here we are. Torn apart by THAT place, and yet only the fragment will survive rather than the main soul." She bit out the last few words, gritting her teeth as she kept it together. She suddenly whirled around to face me once more and I instinctively raised my arms as if expecting her to jump me.

"I told you, you don't have to be scared. I couldn't do anything even if I wanted to. All I can do is hate you, envy you, despise you…but that's not enough. I can't survive like this for long, but I will not be ignored. We have to help him." There was a certain unease with the way she grouped us together and I found myself backing up once more. I couldn't tell if it was the color of her hair or her voice, but everything about her felt nostalgic. The way she grouped us together, however, only filled me with anger.

"There is no 'we'. You're…You're not me. I'm not some fragment or shard, I'm Homura Todoroki. The only we here is Shoto and I. There's no room for you." I finally spoke up, her sockets widening a bit before scowling slightly. I stood my ground as she approached, reaching out and taking my chin in her hands. She yanked my chin roughly, causing me to stumble a bit. I instantly grasped her wrist, the two of us tense as we held our ground. I narrowed my eyes.

"You disrespectful little shit! If I could take back my eyes, I would do it now. But that won't do me any good. It's far too late to try and take the body. I can't move forward, I can only move on. But you, you stupid girl, you could have changed everything and you did nothing. You only made thing rose!" she snarled, and I stared at her in open shock.

"Don't look so surprise, you have my eyes. I could see everything. I tried to tell you. I tried to warn you. You don't understand a damn thing. I can't replace you now, but I can make you understand. I'd tell you this won't hurt, but I'm past that reassuring shit." she growled. I felt the splinters in my mind suddenly come together, the shattered pieces forming in to one single shard. Then, I felt the sharp stab my consciousness.

* * *

 **Shoto Todoroki**

Trauma was a fickle thing, something that didn't just fade over time. Even through various coping methods, it was always lingering in the back of his mind. Shoto could still see the water, feel it as it destroyed the left side of his face with fury. He could still see the way his sister looked at him, her own anger unmistakable as she lashed out at their mother. Her fire had scared him that day, lashing out in a way that would always strike a chord within him.

He understood that Homura had no way of understanding the real situation, only seeing the way he crumbled to the ground in pure agony. Shoto was beyond anger and resentment at this point, acknowledging her as simply an obstacle in his path of revenge. One might call him petty, and he would agree with them without a doubt, but there was no way he could let go of his ambitions he had nurtured over the years. He would make her know fear and put her in her place, regardless of what had to be done.

Yet, when he felt the fire spasming chaotically without it even residing in him, his eyes snapped open. The fact that he felt it himself with her level of control meant something serious, and soon he was running down the halls as fast as he could. He reached out carefully for the fire, recoiling when it lashed out at him as though he were unfamiliar. Fire had never rejected him even when he rejected it, his eyes narrowing in concern.

Luckily it was the dead of night, nobody in the hallways capable of stopping him as he entered Homura's room unannounced. She laid there quietly, breathing evenly as though she were asleep, but he knew better. He approached her bed carefully, as if expecting her to wake at any moment and react aggressively. She laid there still regardless, and as he reached the edge of the bed, his eyes met hers. They were empty, open as if she were awake but unmoving and unseeing. To anybody else, she would have likely been proclaimed dead on the spot.

Shoto knew better. He could feel the fire burning within her, lashing out chaotically and disturbingly, but still very much alive. Had she truly passed, the fire would have returned to him instantly and likely dull. No, she was alive but somewhere where he could not reach. Not physically anyways.

He took her hand gently in his, using their physical contact to force Ice in to her alongside the fire, hoping that maybe that would help her in some way. Quirklessness was a feeling he was not quite accustomed to, and he felt himself tense up the moment he was left without anything. He could have called for help and had her taken to a hospital. But with the thought of where their mother was, he couldn't let that happen. He could feel her struggling with their quirk, lost but not completely gone. She only needed support, and just this one, he would give it to her. There was a difference between beating her in to submission and letting her fall too far away. He wanted to push her away, to keep her at a distance, but there was only so far he was willing to let go.

He kneeled on the floor, grasping her hand between his and resting his forehead against the frame. He closed his eyes, keeping his breathing steady as he kept prodding at the turbulent quirk carefully. Shoto would wait there for his sister for as long as it took.

* * *

There was a reason you weren't supposed to remember your past life. A single empty soul was plenty for a body, but to have a loaded soul shoved through the mental equivalent of a cheese grater and fragment along the way? The universe punished the very audacity of the thought, and I felt every bit of its anger at the unnaturalness of my existence as my mind practically burned. The two of us had separated long ago, no longer compatible and able to sync up properly. She was, however, capable of plugging the holes and mending the splinters that had formed when I first arrived in this world. Healing my mind should have be painless, right? Wrong.

"L-let go of me…! S-stop it!" I screeched, gripping her wrist as hard as I could as I tried to break free from the assault of images. Everything was fitting together as it should have in the first place, but it was forced and almost unnatural in a way. She gritted her teeth, her body destabilizing faster as she fixed my mind with all her might.

"You have to bear it stupid girl. You have to understand, or else you'll make everything worse. You couldn't understand the clues I was giving you, so you're going to have to suffer if you're going to fix this mess you made!" she snapped, the burning intensifying tenfold as she continued. I ended up stumbling backwards, taking her with me as I thrashed about to break free.

It was then I felt another hand, resting on my forehead carefully and soothing the burning from this woman's work. I shut my eyes naturally, breathing heavily as the pain began to lower to manageable levels. I felt the shattered woman snort.

"So, you're here, huh? Looks like you didn't mess everything up if he sent her here." She seemed, calmer with the new presence, and as I opened my eyes I found my mother staring down at me. She smiled, and I couldn't breathe for a moment.

"I'm not your mother, if that's what your assuming. This place…. its unique. It allows manifestations of emotions…and I'm the will of your brother." She spoke with my mother's voice, but I could even feel my brother within her. She closed her eyes, focusing on easing the pain of the transition of memories. Soon, I found myself practically accepting the flow of information, though my discomfort did not subside.

Eventually, I was released, and I simply laid there in a daze, these two manifestations staring down at me quietly.

"Tsk, I can't stay here any longer. There's not enough room for me in here anymore. but you should know what to do now. And you better act on it or Fire will swallow you whole." The shattered snapped, her eyes narrowing as pieces of her began to dissolve slowly. I didn't have time to respond before she was gone, burning away in a burst of fire. I felt my fire finally calm down, bowing to me in a way it hadn't ever before.

"She hid in Fire for as long as she could, but that was practically suicide. You can't sit in fire and not expect to turn to ash." My 'mother' spoke quietly, backing up to let me stand. I held a hand to my head, massaging my temple as I processed everything. I paused, remembering her presence and glancing back.

"What does that make you then? You feel like Ice, you're almost like her. You feel…just as sad." I spoke quietly, still reeling from the earlier assault. She simply nodded.

"She was born from the trauma of reincarnating wrong. She had clung to her life before, and in doing so, fragmented and created you. If you had reincarnated correctly, you would not have access to those memories at all and you would have been whole. As for me, I was born from your brother's trauma. I am also almost at my end, but I will not go away with time." I watched her carefully, the mention of my brother stirring something within me. The images flooded in, and instead of fragmented words, I saw everything.

"No…you won't. But is it really alright to wait that long?" I muttered, acknowledging the guilt within me as I remembered everything. This world had been an anime in my previous life, and I could have negated everything that hurt my brother. She had tried to warn me, but I hadn't been able to put everything together in time. With these memories finally put together correctly, could I even think of them as family anymore?

That was a stupid thought, and I instantly smacked myself for even considering it. None of this changed anything about how I felt about everything. The only thing it did was give me the strength to keep moving forward.

"Well, it all depends on you, doesn't it? You didn't exist before, but now…" her voice trailed off in to silence, and as I looked at her, her form began to disperse. "There's no time left, you're returning to your life now that you've finally shed what was holding you down. I'm returning to him now, but I wouldn't expect to hear from me again. This was a one time -moment. We'll never be back here again." she smiled softly, my breathing hitching a bit as I felt myself being pulled upward.

I closed my eyes.

I had only caught a glimpse of Shoto as he quickly exited the room, obviously trying to avoid any confrontation. I rolled my eyes but let him go, rubbing my head as I tried to process everything. Despite all the information that I had come across, it really didn't change much of anything. I knew about future events, but most of them were things I couldn't really change. If anything, interfering in some things could hurt somebody, or even worse, kill somebody.

I wanted to think on it more, but between my mental exhaustion from that interaction and my physical exhaustion from training, I knew it was time to really sleep this time. I sighed quietly, willing myself to sleep as I faded away for the night.

* * *

I wanted to sit down for a moment to think about everything that had happened, but between trying to figure out my costume specifications and preparing everything else for U.A., I hardly had any time for myself. Preparations for U.A., believe it or not, also included keeping up with my conditioning. If only my frequent sparring partner was a ball of sunshine and rainbows.

I caught his wrist just in time, maneuvering it over me before his explosion could nail me in the face. My hair was blown every which way as the explosion right above my head temporarily deafened me, inhibiting my senses for a few seconds. Katsuki grinned sharply, spouting what I assumed was his usual egotistical nonsense as the ringing in my ear drowned out everything. Knowing it was stupid to give him even a few seconds of free time, I yanked hard on his wrist, leaning back as he brought his other hand towards my stomach. I used my free hand to shove him to the side, my hearing slowly returning as I caught his outraged growl.

I let go quickly, sidestepping out of the way as he easily regained his balance. He didn't lunge at me right away, narrowing his eyes as he approached the situation carefully. Our fights had grown more drawn out and less explosive over the weeks following the exam, the focus shifting from our quirks to our combat sense. Katsuki was a damned natural, a prodigy of sorts, and I had no idea why I had to be surrounded by such talent. Still, with a bit of extra conditioning and training, I was keeping up with Katsuki and could hold my own in this new style of sparring.

Of course, he still used him quirk from time to time, but it was rarely with true power and was aimed more towards exploring the utility of it. I had considered doing the same, but Endurant had suggested I improve my close combat prowess first before looking at our quirk any more. Still, handling Katsuki's close combat capabilities on top of the various sense blocking techniques he was exploring was a daunting task.

"You, you fucker, how did that fucking Deku get in to U.A.? How?" Katsuki suddenly snapped and I blinked, the sudden conversation somewhat jarring considering out situation. I ducked to the side as he ran forward, his fist flying in the space next to my head. I went for another arm grab, but he quickly pulled back, circling around a bit to stay out of my reach.

"Really? You want to talk now? Can't it wait?" I growled, still confused as to why he cared so much. If he was worried about Izuku surpassing him, that was his own problem. Izuku was smart and strong-willed, but even he couldn't beat Katsuki without a quirk. The fact that Katsuki even considered that was laughable, but I hardly had time to chuckle as he swung at me again. I met his eyes and saw pure rage.

"No, it fucking can't! I was supposed to be the only one from our school! The first one, but he fucking took that from me! I told him not to fucking apply!" Katsuki practically howled, his damaged pride fueling his quirk as he suddenly brought explosions in to our spar, and soon I was on fire as well. His next explosive fist connected with a burst of fire, exploding back towards him as I hopped backwards, eyes wary.

"So? Who cares? Nobody but you! Besides, how the hell would I know? We were in the same exam district moron!" I snapped, easily taking his next fist in my palm and holding it in place. I caught his next with my other hand and soon it was a battle of wheels, our quirks meeting in the middle and slowly increasing in power as they collided with each other. Heat waves emanated from our position, our focus on each other as Katsuki trembled with outrage.

"Don't play fucking dumb with my bitch! I know you two hang out all the fucking time! He would have told you! Does he have a fucking quirk? Has he been hiding it from me all this time?!" It was an odd thing, a wounded teenage boy's pride. When it was attached to a kid whose quirk could obliterate plenty at close range? My caution and concern were justified as we pushed against each other, our knees bending slightly as we tried to force the other in to submission. My flames continued mingling with his frequent explosions, smoke shrouding the room and obscuring the rest of the dojo from sight. It was only Katsuki and I, lit up by the volatile concoction between our palms.

"That is the dumbest thing I've ever heard you say, bastard. Quirks manifest at four! He didn't have a single villain point! All he had were rescue points! You ever think that maybe he just helped people out of debris? Do you ever think, or is your head only full of explosions like your palms?" I snapped, Katsuki bristling at the insults. His eyes narrowed, and for a moment he seemed to consider my words, before he bared his teeth.

"Then I'll just have to fucking kill him to get it out of him, huh?" his sudden grin caught my off guard, and before I could react, he grit his teeth and increased the power from his palms. I was unprepared for the sudden boost and was promptly blown backwards out of the smoke cloud, my back hitting the wall behind me. I coughed a bit as I made contact, rubbing my chin at the technical knockout as Katsuki stood there. It was an incredible increase in power, but even I could tell the toll it had taken on him. His body was trembling as he stood there, smirking as if he didn't just struggle to take me down.

"I don't care about what that stupid fucking Deku thinks he can become, but I'm going to crush him. And then I'll crush you. I'm going to be number one!" he practically shouted, and I couldn't help but snort. I let out a sigh of relief, feeling the tension in my muscles subside after that explosion of feelings. I was surrounded by these strange teenagers, but somehow, I couldn't imagine it any other way. I grunted a bit, trying to stand before a sharp pain ran up my back. I sat there for a moment before I slowly let my head fall back, closing my eyes.

"Yeah okay, but…do you think you could help me up? I can't move. _Please?_ "

* * *

 **A/N: Lemme just sprinkle a little bit of Shoto P.O.V. for you guys... haha! I never really explained the future memory stuff because it was difficult - it was fractured memories, feelings that she could act on if they were strong enough. I knew why they were like that - but it was difficult finding the right chapter. I think it fits well here - before they enter the academy anyways.**

 **This chapter was a little hard, but I think it turned out okay! Thanks again to my beta ee 3**

 **The increased responses really means a lot to me guys! I know I write really fast and maybe you guys might find it too fast? But this story is so much fun to write that I can't help it hehe. I'm honestly having a blast and I'm so happy everybody else loves it too! I'll keep churning out chapters for you guys (and now that I have a beta, the quality will improve!).**

 **I might be updating the first chapters in a bit - cleaning up the formatting and fixing errors! If I add in anything important (like an extra bit of dialogue or paragraph) I'll let you know if you want to go reread or not!**

 **Thanks again for all your love 3 I'm so happy to see the reviews! Chatting with you guys is really inspirational (and it helps me address things that need to be addressed when you point them out!) See you guys next time!**


	9. Bonds

**A/N: Shout out to my amazing beta reader once more Wakacchi as usual for helping me out all the time 3 Parts of this chapter were a little hard, but I think it was not too bad. It was still a blast and I've got so much in store for later! Actually, I have some really good scenes planned out for really later in the story, but those'll have to wait. No spoilers!**

 **Xenocanaan - Thank you 3**

 **Guest #1 - I was interested in how people would take her. I intended for her to seem...a bit self-centered and all. Homura is stuck in this position where she has to consider everything before she acts - like if she saves one person, someone else might die etc. It's a really weird balance that I think she'll have to figure out on her own - when she should interfere and when she should not. She'll be acting on her knowledge don't worry - but she's still trying to figure out when she should. It's not a story anymore - she could easily get herself killed if she's not careful!**

 **skidney - Thank you 3**

 **Etha - Thank you - Both my beta reader and I try our best! I think I'll put it up to vote - though everybody seems to realllly favor Katsuki. haha!**

 **Guest #2 - Technically, if things hadn't been screwed up by the Universe basically saying "NO", she would have been "Homura". She's spent these past sixteen years watching Homura not do what she wanted - can't blame her for being a bit bitter about it. But, lucky lucky, Homura SHOULD be free for now. Hehehe.**

 **Maester Ta - She does now fully! She had them before, but they were broken and only surfaced as feelings mostly!**

 **HaPPy2901- You are my favorite person to respond to because you write so much! I love it!**

 **I guess it turned out to be a semi-SI insert type of deal. She has the memories of what she was when she was full, before reincarnated. The only difference being she split off in to her own being while the original got stuck in the back of her subconscious for the most part (and eventually made her way in to the Fire). She was technically right - Homura was a small part of her, but now she's her own.**

 **That was more of a "oops I wrote that part after I wrote this part and forgot to adjust" but the dialogue would have been the same either way. Homura isn't going to let Izuku know she knows if she can avoid it. She knows how important that secret is. She knew Katsuki wouldn't believe her anyways, the asshole.**

 **Yeah I know people want her to be more powerful, but Shoto is honest to god a prodigy. Homura isn't bad at all - if I placed her in rankings with the girls, I'd put her right below Momo only because momo's application and creativity with her quirk is a bit above Homura's. As for intelligence - Homura is still pretty high in class rankings with her knowledge from before. Especially English (hehe).**

 **I was originally going to ignore them to be honest. But I like their character designs (and their cute quirks too. Therapists whose father was abusive as hell. It's going to fit very well in the future, just you wait). If they ever get brought up in the manga with official names and stuff though, I'll keep them the same. It'd be way too much trouble to go back and change them (so they'd be more OCs I guess lolol). I don't want to branch too far from canon, but I want to make sure her actual life is in the story rather than just every canon bit. Feels a bit too copy paste for me.**

 **I miiight do an omake for that one sometime. Hehehehe. I'd like to think Izuku had a really awkward time the next time he brought Homura to his house LOL! And yes, my beta reader is amazing 3**

 **In Brightest Day - He's getting there! Kinda. lol.**

 **Anyways, I'm going to put it to a vote! I want to make a pairing, and I'll start it next chapter a bit once its decided! Just let me know in the reviews who you want to see her paired with based off of her interactions so far! This chapter kinda fleshes out her relationships more, so it gives you a bit of information to go off of! The window is short, since I'm constantly writing and usually do chapters daily or so! So let me know your vote ASAP!**

 **Also, I'm switching off from U.A. to Yuuei from now on! sorry for the inconsistency, but that'll be the permanent name!**

* * *

It didn't matter what year, world, or school I was going to. Trying to wake up and get ready for the first day was always a mess. It began with me sleeping right through my alarm, causing me to miss the hour I had slotted out for my morning stretches. It didn't sound like that big of a deal, but after spending years stretching and warming up my muscles I had never felt more exhausted in my life. I sprang out of bed, my eyes heavy as I scrambled around the room searching for all my supplies. I could have sworn that I had pre-packed everything the night before, but as soon as the day came, everything was suddenly lost.

I bursted out of the room after about ten minutes of fumbling with my uniform, still adjusting my tie as I stomped down the hall in a complete panic. I expectedly dodged the various servants in the hallway, nodding curtly as I headed for the kitchen.

"Nee-san! Have you seen my sup-?" I exploded in to the kitchen, my tie finally neat by my hair frazzled as I nearly ran in to another servant in my panicked clumsiness. Fuyumi stared wide-eye at me before giggling, leaning down slightly before pulling my backup up from the ground. I stood there awkwardly for a second, her giggling increasing in intensity as I sorted out my temporary stupidity. I rubbed my head after a moment, letting out a sigh of relief.

"You had me pack it for you last night, remember? If I recall, you told me to look out for you in case you woke up with air in your head. Looks like you know yourself well, Homura-chan~!" I flushed a bit in embarrassment, my hand moving to begin fixing my hair as I headed over.

"Ah, man I had kinda hoped I'd be able to collect myself better. I even missed my stretches. If we have to do anything physically intensive I'm doomed." I mumbled, Fuyumi simply patting my head.

"It's your first day. I doubt they'll make you two do anything too strenuous." It was a casual, but nonetheless awkward, reminder that I would be leaving the house today with Shoto. It had been easy avoiding him when we never went to the same place, but now we would be attending Yuuei together. In fact, because I had ranked top in the exam and he was a recommended student, we would both be placed in the exact same class.

As if on cue, Shoto strode in to the kitchen, his posture stiff when he noticed I was there as well. We caught each other's eye for a second before he averted his gaze, coughing awkwardly. Between the three of us in the room, I could tell everybody was slowly growing uncomfortable by the second.

"Well…you two should head off now. You don't want to be late to your first day. Don't forget to tell me about it!" Fuyumi ushered us both out quickly, making sure to thrust my bag in to my hands before doing so. Shoto and I stood there quietly for a moment, my throat tight as I tried to figure out some way to break the ice.

"Let's go, we'll be late." Shoto finally spoke after a minute of us both standing there awkwardly, my head bobbing slightly in agreement as we both began walking side by side. Yuuei was located on the opposite side of town in comparison to our house, so we couldn't walk the entire way. Father had suggested we take the car I usually used for my dojo trips, but we had both apparently declined his offer. Instead, we both ended up walking to the local train station, continuing the tense silence as we boarded. I sighed, keeping my tone and breathing steady.

"Shoto-kun, you're in class 1-A as, well right? Did you happen to see who our Sensei was?" I glanced over at him, taking note of how his gaze suddenly shifted to another part of the train.

"No." I resisted the urge to scowl, simply nodding in acknowledgement. If he wanted to avoid conversation, then so be it. I could keep this horrendously awkward and uncomfortable silence up for as long as he was stubborn. Shoto seemed to relax beside me, free of the forced conversation. I simply looked around the train, watching the scenery change.

It was a short ride, roughly ten minutes to the next station. Had we tried to walk, we would have taken at least half an hour to get here. It was a little difficult trying to exit the train, the work rush causing a crowd to swarm the entrance as he exited. I slipped out eventually, followed by Shoto a few moments later.

Approaching Yuuei was still an incredible experience as it had been before, even more so now that I was an official student. The uniform was a little dull, not to mention the difficulty concerning the tie, but with a bright red ribbon holding up my ponytail I felt like I stood out just enough. Shoto had kept to the basic uniform for the most part, but with our hair, we stood out regardless of whether we made personal touches to our attire. Despite Shoto's presence, I couldn't help but beam at the sight of my new school. After years being homeschooled, I was thrilled to taste true freedom.

"I heard we'd be getting trained by Pro heroes here, like Present Mic! Izuku-kun even told me that All Might would be teaching here as well. This really is the best school for heroics, huh?" It was hard for me to remain silent and I found myself speaking to Shoto like I would Izuku. I realized my mistake when I glanced back at him, his eyes widened slightly in surprise before he composed himself. Awkward.

Shoto seemed to hurry a little bit as we approached the steps, carefully pushing past me before I could interact anymore. I finally scowled as I watched his back, gripping the strap to my bag tightly. He couldn't even try to act like everything was fine! What was he going to do when classmates noticed our names, cover his body in ice? Considering his behaviour , he just might do that.

A few confusing minutes later, as I had forgotten to memorize the school map, I found myself opening the door to class 1-A carefully. The door creaked a bit as it swung open, and I found myself under the intense gaze of a classroom of kids. I sweat dropped just a bit.

"Homura-chan, we're in the same class! That's awesome!" the familiar red-headed boy waved enthusiastically, and I felt my awkwardness instantly melt away. This wouldn't be too bad after all.

"Yeah, I'm glad! It's good to see a familiar face. Well, a nice familiar face." I added, grimacing as I glanced at Katsuki's form towards the back of the classroom. He hadn't noticed me yet, too focused on the stiff-looking boy in front of him. I snorted as I realized he was being lectured. Seemingly sensed my attention, the black-haired boy suddenly swivelled around, his eyes locking on me. I tensed up a bit as he suddenly stomped up to me, and for a moment I thought he was going to yell. I was a bit taken back when he held out his hand, warily returning the friendly gesture. Kirishima was snickering behind his hand as he watched.

"It's nice to meet you! My name is Iida Tenya from Soumei junior high! I remember you from the exam, it is an honor to meet a child from such a famous Pro hero! You are Endeavor's daughter, correct?" I winced a bit at his directness, feeling the attention on me increase. I gulped nervously, suddenly put on the spot.

"A-ah, yeah it's nice to meet you Tenya-kun! Call me Homura-chan though, my father has nothing to do with my place here." I urged him gently, relieved when he nodded with a firm smile.

"Of course, Homura-chan. I look forward to learning together with our fellow classmates!" It was then Izuku finally entered the classroom, waving at me slightly before noticing Katsuki and Iida. He tensed up considerably, and soon I found myself free of Iida's attention for the time being.

"Wow, well he's certainly a character. He's nice though." I sighed, Kirishima snorting in response as I shuffled over to his seat carefully. I could feel everybody appraising me after being outed and I knew I suddenly had high expectations set on me.

"Yeah, he's pretty nice. A bit stiff if you ask me, but he doesn't see too bad." He chuckled before glancing around me, waving at a pink-skinned classmate. "Hey Ashido-chan, come here and meet that girl I was telling you about! This is Homura-chan." He introduced me, and I bowed my head slightly, the odd-skinned girl staring at me before bursting in to giggles.

"Oh wow, you're really formal, huh? You don't need to be like that, we're all cool here!" I found myself relaxing due to her bright personality, her smile pleasant and welcoming.

"Yeah, just relax with us. It's like you haven't been around a bunch of other kids before." I chuckled nervously, nodding slightly.

"Well I was homeschooled, so I really haven't. This is my first time in a normal school, so I'm trying to figure things out!" I rubbed the back of my head awkwardly, Kirishima and Ashido exchanging looks before they both grinned.

"Well don't you worry! This is gonna be super fun I bet you!" Ashido practically squealed and I found myself pulled in to a tight hug, blinking before laughing.

The random chattered in the classroom continued for a few more minutes, Katsuki's angry voice occasionally peaking above everybody else's. It was when everybody suddenly quieted that I glanced around, staring at the entrance as what looked like a giant caterpillar man hobbled inside. Everybody stared at the man as he slowly exited his cocoon, revealing a tall, lanky man with unruly black hair. He looked absolutely dead.

"That…that must be Sensei." Ashido muttered quietly, creeping back towards her seat carefully. I wanted to retreat to a seat myself before I realized there was not an extra desk, feeling a bit awkward. Kirishima seemed to notice my tension, glance around the room, then quietly tugged me down on to his seat.

"They must have made a mistake. You can share with me for a bit. It wouldn't be very manly to let a lady fend for herself." He muttered, and I silently thanked him, feeling a bit nervous with our proximity but taking his generosity without complaint.

"Hmm, it took you lot eight seconds to quiet down." I winced at the clear disapproval in his voice as he scrutinized every one of them. His eyes seem to linger on Shoto first, then to me as I sat there frozen next to Kirishima.

"Looks like they made a mistake with the student count." a pause. "I'm your homeroom teacher, Aizawa Shouta. Pleasure meeting you." Despite his friendly greeting, he seemed remarkably unwelcoming. Everybody else seemed to be just as put off as I was, excluding Katsuki and Shoto. Katsuki seemed to be judging him right back with an unnerving smirk while Shoto just simply wasn't responding at all. Aizawa dug in to his weird sleeping bag before pulling out the school uniform, lifting it for everybody to see.

"Wear these. Immediately. And then shove off to the P.E. grounds." Everyone remained silent as he gathered up his sleeping bag and wandering outside of the room, nobody moving for a second. Then…

"All right girls, let's go get ready! Meet and greet time, yeah?" Ashido squealed, jerking me out of my thoughts. The other girls didn't seem as enthusiastic, but not totally against the idea as everybody began shuffling around the room.

"Guess I better get going. Thanks for the assist, Kirishima-kun." I smiled, the boy glancing away for a moment before grinning.

"Of course, I wasn't about to not give up my seat for a lady. You would have had it all if I was able to, but considering that look Aizawa-sensei was giving us…" he averted his gaze and I laughed.

"Yeah, he didn't seem to happy looking at us. Guess we'll have to prove him wrong, yeah?" I grinned, only to be suddenly pulled away by Ashido.

"Come on, Homura-chan, we have to go to the locker rooms! We have to meet everybody before class!" she squealed, tugging me along before I could properly say goodbye. I simply waved as I was tugged along, exchanging smiles with Izuku and Iida, glares with Katsuki, and nothing with Shoto.

The locker rooms were large and spacious, each student with their own assigned locker. One quick glance told me we shared this with the other class of first-years, though we were the only ones here. Strange.

"This is a great time for some girl-bonding! I figure we should introduce ourselves! I'm Ashido Mina!" Ashido exclaimed, clapping her hands together. A few of the other girls seemed to smile, while two looked a little nervous, and one… well her clothes moved enthusiastically as far as I could tell.

"Ah, well I'm Ochaco Uraraka! It's nice to meet everybody!" the girl smiled brightly, though a little more subdued than Ashido. She was a cute girl, her hair practically bouncing about as she moved.

"I'm Tsuyu Asui, ribbit." The green-haired girl crouching slightly on the ground waved, her large eyes glancing around as she smiled slightly. She seemed pretty nice, though a bit weird. I sucked in my nerves, glancing back as I pulled the uniform out of the locker.

"Guess it's my turn! I'm Homura Todoroki, but please call me Homura-chan. I think it'll be difficult with two Todoroki in the class!" I grinned, feeling everybody's eyes on me once more.

"Oh, are you and that really cute boy twins? That's so cool that both of you are here! Are you a team? Is that why there's an odd number of students?" Ashido squealed, her hands clutched together and her eyes practically sparkly. I had to look away, blinded by her enthusiasm.

"U-um, yeah but I wouldn't get too excited. We don't work well together at all. "I smiled despite the dull pain in my chest, trying not to linger too long on that truth. The next girl seemed to notice my subdued discomfort, intervening smoothly.

"Well, I'm Kyoka Jiro. Nice to meet you guys." She seemed bored, as if she was uninterested in everything, but it was easy to tell she was at least somewhat engaged. Her eyes darted to one of the last girls in the room, her posture all but screaming 'elite'. She glanced away at the sudden attention, seeming a little reserved.

"Ah, I'm Momo Yaoyorozu. I hope we can become great heroes together." She bowed slightly, and suddenly my formality from earlier seemed completely casual. She was nice, though, and I could appreciate floating pair of clothes suddenly bounced, jarring me for a second as I had to remind myself that was an actual person.

"And that just leaves me! I'm Toru Hagakure! It's nice to meet everybody! I'm a little embarrassed with all your eyes on me like this, but hopefully we can be really great friends" Everybody deadpanned, avoiding the topic concerning her complete and utter invisibility. I briefly wondered if she could see herself before shaking my head, focusing on slipping in to my P.E. uniform.

"I wonder why we're the only ones here? Do you think the other class had to do something similar?" Ashido slyly sidled up next to me as I pulled on the zipper, glancing around at the vast locker room. I frowned, rubbing my chin.

"I don't know. Maybe only the top class has to do it? Maybe we have to prove our worth yet again." I joked, completely unaware as everybody made their way to the field. We all lined up next to each other, though I carefully maneuvered my way over to Izuku. He smiled when he saw me.

"Ah, Homura-chan! Sorry we didn't get to talk earlier. I wonder what's going on?" he glanced around, taking note of the equally confused students. I shrugged before eyeing him up, smirking slightly.

"Dunno, I don't think Oto-san mentioned anything like this to me when we talked. Maybe we're doing warm-up stretches? That would be nice since I forgot to do mine earlier." I sighed, reminiscing gloomily about this mornings near disaster. Izuku chuckled, patting my back, opening his mouth to say something when Aizawa finally sauntered up to the group. He seemed just as dead and exhausted as he did earlier, clearly not a morning person. He eyed us quietly for a moment, appraising us once more.

"Alright, now that we're all here. We'll be having a quirk apprehension test." He muttered, Izuku's eyes widened at the words. Everybody seemed to speak up at once, chatter overtook the group as they looked around. My eyes were only on Izuku myself, my previous doubts resurfacing for a moment before I mentally facepalmed. No, he had a quirk, but it wasn't something I could just talk about. He couldn't know that I knew about One for all. That would lead to way too many uncomfortable questions. Still, I couldn't help but worry.

As Aizawa explained the test, even calling on Katsuki's arrogant ass as an example, I considered the events that would occur from this point on. If nothing weird happened, Izuku would pass through his sheer determination to be a hero. It would be unpleasant to watch, but I didn't need to worry about that.

My real concerns were farther off in the future, between the League of Villains, Stein, and the Eight Precepts of Death. The final two wouldn't be an issue for a long time, leaving the incident at the USJ as my priority. Obviously, there was nothing I could do about the attack itself, unless I somehow caught them before they interfered with the front gate. No, I couldn't do anything about that either considering I wouldn't have enough warning ahead of time. This was the real problem with my memories – I knew events would unfold, but I didn't have exact dates and times for most of them. Even if they had triggers that I could recognize, this didn't mean I would have time to react. Maybe I could save Aizawa from being so thoroughly beaten by the Nomu?

"Todoroki-san, are you paying attention? You're next." I was jolted from my thoughts by a gentle nudge from Izuku, smiling weakly at me as he trembled. I blinked a few times, grinning sheepishly while my classmates giggled.

"Ah, sorry I was just thinking about how to apply our quirk to the test. And um, if it's possibly, can you call my Homura instead? It'll be confusing with two of us." I added, feeling myself shrink under Aizawa intense gaze. He simply sighed and nodded, looking elsewhere as I stumbled up to the field. I felt Ice slowly creep up beside Fire, silently thanking Shoto for his attention. At least he wasn't going to try and jeopardize me here. I guess he had some standards.

I stepped up to the field, stretching a bit as I eyed the first test. I quietly ignored Shoto standing right beside me, though it was harder to ignore the excited whispers from our classmates.

"Wow, both twins side by side! You think they have the same quirk?" "I heard the guy got in with recommendations and she didn't. He must be the stronger of the two" "Sibling rivalry, so cool!"

I grimaced, finally glancing over at Shoto. He seemed a bit tenser, but otherwise unfazed by their excited and inconsiderate whispers. I couldn't blame them though, their words were accurate, just a bit too sensitive for both Shoto and I.

For the first challenge, I was certain that I had an advantage. Shoto wouldn't use Fire at all, and while his control over Ice was admirable, Fire had more power behind it. It was simply a matter of directing it properly, and as we both prepared for the signal, I gathered fire in my palms. I redirected them backwards, and as the signal was sounded, I shot forward rapidly. I hit the finish line in five seconds, Shoto trailing behind with a single second over. I smirked, feeling somewhat validated as the two of us returned to the group of chattering kids.

Our quirk didn't always work for every test, or at the very least, I didn't always figure out a way to apply it. My scores for the grip test were normal while Shoto encased his hand in ice to try and increase his score. It was clever and while it didn't beat Shoji, a mutant-quirked boy whose hand practically crushed the handle, or Yaoyorozu and her created items, it was still better than mine. Needless to say, I was a bit annoyed that I hadn't figured something out.

For the long jump, I mimicked what I did in the dash, shooting the fire downwards instead of backwards to launch myself farther. Shoto could have easily done the same, but his refusal to take Fire left him behind me. He used his ice to launch himself a bit farther than he would have normally, but between Katsuki and I, nobody else could beat our scores in that test.

Mineta was the god of sideways jump – I had a decent enough score, but there was no beating that kid. He seemed a little to smug, considering his lower scores in every other test. If Izuku hadn't had trouble with his quirk, then he would have easily ended up in last place.

"Izuku-kun, you okay?" I approached the frzzled boy while the rest of our classmates took on the sideways jump, the green-haired boy jumping a bit at my attention. He laughed nervously, smiling despite his predicament.

"Ah, Homura-chan! I-I'm fine, honest! I just need to work harder is all!" He stammered out, and while I knew what would happen, I still felt concerned regardless. I couldn't exactly blatantly tell him to use his quirk – he would have to figure out the solution on his own. I could at least offer a bit of support.

"You say that but, you're shaking a bit Izuku-kun." He flinched a bit as I continued. "I…I think you'll do great! You helped me design my costume and yours, so you better not flake out on me here!" I teased, bringing a slight smile to his face. He was still nervous as far as I could tell, but a few supportive words could go a long way. I edged my way to the back of the crowd, Katsuki snorting as I passed.

"That fucking Deku is going to get expelled, don't be stupid." He scoffed, and I rolled my eyes.

"You don't know that. No need to be a jerk." I rebuked, and he simply laughed, smirking. I wanted to wipe that smug look off his face, but I couldn't blow the secret. No, I could only ignore the bastard's increasingly unbearable satisfaction as Izuku stumbled through every single test.

The pitch test, in my opinion, was an incredibly difficult one for me. I had marveled at Uraraka's infinity score, though when it came to my attempt I was a bit nervous. I had to put out just the right amount of power to get a decent score, but if I used too much I would burn the ball before it got far enough to matter. No matter what happened, I would beat Shoto since Ice lacked in raw power, but it was a test of control. I gripped the ball tightly, breathing slightly and ignoring the crowd around me. I brought Fire from my core, letting it blast outwards from my arm at the last second as I sent the ball flying. It was silent for a moment.

"754.3."

I couldn't help but grin smugly, my eyes immediately seeking out the enraged ones of Katsuki. It had only been the one score, but I had beat the bastard at something. I sauntered back to the group, smirking as I passed by Katsuki. I couldn't help it – he'd been a jerk all day and I needed something to rub in his face.

"Tch, I could've done better than that, you fucking extra." He snarled quietly, and I ignored him, watching as Izuku took the stand. I had been nervous for this test, considering what it would mean. I knew what would happen, but held my breath quietly as Aizawa interrupted his first shot.

"Not sure why he bothers with him, that Deku isn't worth shit." Katsuki muttered, eyes narrowed, and arms folded across his chest. I didn't respond, simply watching while everybody chattered amongst themselves.

"Are you worried for him? I for one…don't care." Aoyama, probably the most sparkling teenage boy I had ever met, shoved his way in to a conversation with Uraraka. Uraraka, bless her heart, had the decency to only look mildly confused at his sudden appearance.

"Looks like he's had some coaching before, but…" Iida looked a bit grim, rubbing his chin as he watched the scenario.

"He's gonna get expelled for sure." Katsuki repeated his opinion and I grit my teeth, glancing at the boys.

"We should believe in him. We're heroes, aren't we? Heroes inspire people and if you keep muttering like that, then what're you going to do in the future? Huh?" I finally snapped, my eyes narrowing to slits. Iida had the decency to look ashamed. Katsuki simply snorted.

"I don't have to support weak shits like him. He should have known better to apply. It's a shame, I would have liked to beat him down." Katsuki grinned devilishly, clenching his fist. Uraraka, however, seemed to light up at my comment.

"She's right! We have to cheer him on! We have to support each other from now on!" She held a thumb up to me, which I returned just as enthusiastically.

"Yeah, if we don't have each other's backs then we can't call ourselves true heroes." Yaoyorozu nodded, her hands on his hips as she seemed to direct the entire class's attention towards herself. Even Aizawa's gaze seemed to be caught as he withdrew his quirk, quirking an eyebrow at our sudden enthusiasm.

"Yeah, we're men, aren't we? Go Midoriya-kun!" Kirishima cheered suddenly, the others boy taking the hint and joining in. Soon, excluding Shoto and Katsuki, the entire class was cheering and clapping for the green-haired boy. Izuku's eyes were wide and full of emotion, overwhelmed by the sudden support. Our gazes met, and he beamed, clenching his fist and whirling around. Second only to Uraraka, I think I was the loudest cheer when he managed a high score as well.

Katsuki, the bastard, was far from appeased by Izuku's sudden display of his quirk. I only remembered what was about to second a solid second before he lunged, reaching out for his arm but missing by centimeters as he lunged at the injured boy. His explosions tore out from his palms, launching him forward and towards Izuku. I acted on instinct, blasting fire out of my own hands as I lunged for Katsuki. The other kids were startled by the domino effect as Katsuki and I both shot forward, Izuku panicking.

Katsuki's explosions died out as he was caught by Aizawa's special cloth and I let my quirk die down on its own, not wanting to find out what would happen if I was cut off from Shoto. It was an interesting thought and something to test in the future, but for now I wasn't ready to experiment. If anything, I was cowed by Aizawa's sudden exertion of his presence, backing up a bit from the confrontation.

"It's my special "capturing weapon", a steel wire alloy woven with carbon nanofibers. Jeez." Aizawa huffed as he explained, keeping a firm hold on Katsuki. "Don't make me use my quirk so much, I have dry eyes!" Katsuki relented after a moment, his quirk erased and therefore rendering him useless. Well, as useless as a close combat trained kid could be in this situation. Aizawa's eyes flickered over to me and I flinched back, though he didn't erase our quirk. I let out a sigh of relief, scowling at Katsuki as he pushed by me.

"Leave him alone, bastard." I growled under my breath, mildly surprised when he ignored me. I watched his back quietly, knowing he was frustrated but not able to really do much about it. Katsuki was not an easy person to deal with when upset.

The rest of the tests were a bit of a blur, since my quirk really didn't work on any of them. I kind of used Ice and Fire in the endurance run, but otherwise I placed normal scores for the seated toe-touch and Upper body exercises. Thanks to my years of training, however, my Upper body score was still higher than average.

Izuku was in last despite everything, though it didn't matter much when Aizawa revealed his logical ruse. It was a bit disheartening to see Shoto's name above me, but this was just a simple test to determine our progress. I could, and would, get better with time. If anything, I was more annoyed by my sore muscles than anything else.

"Augh, I can't believe I missed my warm-ups this morning. I'm going to feel it tomorrow." I whined slightly, stretching out my arms as the girls met up back in the locker room again.

"Eh, do you train every day Homura-chan?" Uraraka tilted her head and I nodded.

"Of course, she does, she's Endeavor's daughter. My family had me training every morning since I was young too." Yaoyorozu spoke a bit bluntly, but her tone was friendly and warm. Uraraka rubbed her head awkwardly, grinning.

"I never thought about that with my quirk, but I guess I should do some conditioning for my body too. I didn't notice it before, but you look really fit Homura-chan!" I blinked, my face heating up just a bit as everybody stared at my partially naked body. I had a sudden burst of adrenaline, slipping in to my uniform as fast as humanely possible. Talk about awkward.

"You don't have to be so shy Homura-chan! We're all girls here! My quirk is only really good when I'm cloth less!" Hagakure's voice came from somewhere in the room, bringing her lack of anything to everybody's attention.

"U-um, you know what, Aizawa-sensei is going to be pretty cross if we don't hurry it up." Jiro coughed, her face slightly flushed. It was quiet for a moment, but despite the sheer awkwardness and slight discomfort in the air, several of us started giggling. Even with my previous embarrassment, I couldn't help but laugh along with everybody else as we all finally finished changing. It was as we were leaving, and I nearly tripped over the smallest teenager in the class that I found my other problem of the year–Minoru Mineta.

I knew there were plenty of different mutant quirks out in the world, but somehow Mineta always baffled me. He was abnormally small, weirdly shaped, and his quirk always confused me. Considering how the exam had been, I couldn't figure out how he somehow made it in to Class 1-A. If he had a better personality, I might have been able to overlook his oddness, but he was the single most repulsive being I had ever met. The fact that he was standing outside the girl's locker room set off all kinds of alarms.

"Mineta-kun, what are you doing here?" Uraraka, bless her innocent heart, didn't seem able to put two and two together. Jiro and I seemed to be the only two outwardly skeptical girls while the rest seemed a little doubtful.

"A-Aizawa-sensei sent me to make sure you guys were on your way, since all the guys are already back! I couldn't pass up this kind of opportunity. If only I had a little longer…" he was practically leering at the lot of us without shame, and before I could react, Tsuyu's tongue whipped out from behind and sent the boy flying.

"Shame on you, ribbit." The disapproval was clear, but she was a lot gentler compared to what Jiro or I would have done. Uraraka seemed scandalized, covering her mouth with wide eyes. I rolled my eyes, pushing down the disgust for a later time.

"Not sure how he got in to this class, but we better hurry before another weirdo gets sent out way." I snorted, and we all marched back to the classroom without sparing Mineta a second glance.

It was after homeroom, during the transitioning of classes, that Aizawa pulled me aside for a brief talk. For a moment, I assumed it had something to do with Father, and I couldn't help but feel slightly nervous. He either didn't notice or didn't care – and I was grateful either way.

"Generally, we prefer to keep our classes even for future team exercises. Except, when you and your brother's quirks were registered, you were both registered with one quirk between both of you. Is that correct?" he seemed bored, but I was aware of his intense gaze on me. I had assumed the worst, but this wasn't a conversation I would consider hard.

"Ah, yes. We have one quirk… it's a twin thing I guess? Like, if I carry Ice and Fire, he would be quirkless in a sense. It's something that's considered really rare, but if we need to register as separate I guess we can?" I frowned, unsure of where this conversation was headed. He didn't react to my confirmation, remaining silent for a moment before sighing.

"Alright, but don't assume we will be having you two team up together all the time. I'd prefer if you both learn to stand on your own feet, or else my works to Midoriya-san wouldn't make much sense. Move along, your desk will be delivered after lunch." I was a bit relieved when he mentioned his preference concerning out future teamwork. I loved my brother regardless of his behavior, but Aizawa was right. We had to be able to stand on our own two feet if we wanted to work together, or if I wanted to work together anyways.

With our first homeroom assignment, I had almost forgotten that this was still a highschool. Normal classes suddenly felt odd compared to what we had experienced earlier, but luckily everybody else seemed to think the same way. I continued to awkwardly share that seat with Kirishima, and I almost decked Mineta with my book when I caught him ogling our forms with envy. Luckily Tsuyu seemed to catch my gaze and smack him for me, the two of us exchanging thumbs up afterwards.

Lunch was a crowded affair, students from all departments and classes crowding in to find seats. I managed to finally find Izuku, squeezing in to one of the many booths beside him. Iida and Uraraka ended up joining us as well.

"Is Lunch Rush really a pro hero? I don't really see anything heroic about being a student chef." I voiced my opinion quietly as we ate, Izuku immediately rebuking my statement.

"Ah, N-no he's really amazing! A lot of pro heroes actually have really odd quirks, but its more about how they use them then what they do!" His eyes were practically glowing, and I couldn't help but smile. Uraraka seemed to mirror my thoughts, while Iida nodded approvingly.

"Wow, you're really optimistic Deku-kun!" I nearly choked on my drink and Izuku stiffened considerably, but she continued. "I was really worried about my quirk too, especially since I have a hard limitation, but hopefully I can have your attitude!" she clapped her hands together, grinning brightly.

"U-um, Uraraka-chan, h-his name is Izuku-kun actually." I finally gained enough control over my lungs to correct her, her head tilting slightly in confusion.

"But that one guy called you that earlier? Bakugo-kun?" She put a finger to her chin, and I could feel Izuku's will slowly crumbling. I shook my head, sighing.

"Nah, that guy is a bastard honestly. He's rude as hell. His name is Midoriya Izuku." It was weird talking for Izuku, but with this really cute girl in front of him, coherent speech must have not been an option.

"Speaking of names, I hope you can forgive me for my lack of manners! My name is Iida Tenya!" he finally spoke, Urakara smiling a bit.

"Oh, its fine I forgot to as well! Urakara Ochako! But…" At this point she glanced over at Izuku, the boy flushing brightly at her attention. "I kinda like the name 'Deku' for you! It gives me a sorta 'Never give up' vibe, you know?" I felt his body stiffen next to me, and I snorted loudly at his sudden submission.

"Hi, I'm Izuku! You can call me Deku!" his smile was a bit odd, and eventually I started laughing. Uraraka smiled pleasantly while Iida began scolding him.

"Don't be so weak-willed! It's an insult, remember?" Izuku buried his face at Iida's words, mumbling something. I hid my own face, trying to suppress my giggles at the odd scene. It was strange, considering that when I remember this conversation, it had happened after school. In fact, the manga had only shown the single class rather than an entire school day, which meant that everything I was experiencing now was something new. It wasn't bad, not in the slightest. But it did make me worry for the future.

Simply by existing, events were being altered in small ways. I had wanted to try and leave everything up to fate, but it was obvious I couldn't simply ignore everything that was going on. No, this wasn't the manga anymore. This was my life and I had to do what I could to make it better. Sora and Kaito had not even been mentioned by name before, but now they were too important figures I couldn't live without.

"Homura-chan, are you coming?" Uraraka pulled me out of my thoughts and I jumped a bit, smiling. The three of them had already begun to leave, waiting for me to join them.

"Oh yeah, sorry. I was just thinking about what we'd be doing for the rest of the day considering our first class…" I lied lamely, but she seemed to easily accept it. We left the cafeteria in a hurry, avoiding the rush.

* * *

The rest of the day had been typical, first day of class style lessons, and I found myself walking side by side with Shoto again as we headed for the station. Izuku was luckier, he left with Uraraka and Iida. My only consolation for the day were the numbers we had exchanged – except for Mineta of course – and I found my contacts overflowing with people to talk to. My phone had suddenly grown in importance, my eyes glued to it as I checked the names.

"Aizawa-sensei spoke to you earlier. What did he want?" Shoto's sudden interest caught me off guard and I warily gave him my attention, slowly sliding my phone in my pocket. He seemed calm himself, and I could at least reciprocate that.

"Ah, earlier? He wanted to know about our quirk. I guess Oto-san registered us a bit weird for their records." I watched him carefully. Shoto avoided eye contact, but kept his attention on me for a moment. He then nodded, closing his eyes and turning away. I cocked an eyebrow at that.

"Is that all you wanted to know? Didn't want to know about our classmates, who I ate with, what I did? Anything?" I guess desperation slid in to my tone, because he suddenly stopped, a bit stiff as he returned his attention on me.

"Why would I want to know that?" I sucked in my breath, ignoring the awkwardness and tension in the air as I walked in front of him. I took his hands quickly before he could pull back, grasping them firmly in my own.

"Alright, Shoto-kun, we have to figure this out. If you want me to apologize for what I did to Kaa-san, then I'm sorry." He flinched at this. "I was a kid and I didn't know what was going on. But if it'll make you stop this, then I'm sorry. But, this isn't going to work. We have to go to the same school together for THREE years! THREE. YEARS. I want us to get better for the sake of us, but if you can do it for the sake of our schooling at least, I'm fine with that!" It was a long-winded rant that Present Mic would have been god damned proud of, my brother's eyes finally meeting my gaze. He squeezed my hand gently, and I returned the gesture, hoping that I had gotten through to him. Screw Izuku, I couldn't wait that long. I needed my brother back before we were eventually pitted against each other.

I needed my twin.

"I'm not mad at you Homura-chan. I'm not. Especially not for that." His admission stunned me, and for a moment I thought I was talking to somebody else. No, it was still Shoto, his eyes glinting oddly in the sunset. He turned his gaze downward, focusing on our entwined hands. I said nothing, waiting for him to continue. I had to know what was going on.

"I… don't think we can be like we were before." I nodded, since I knew there was no going back.

"But believe me when I say I don't hate you. I moved past that a long time ago. But I can't have you close to me Homura-chan. All I see is…red." It clicked, and I swallowed hard. I had considered that option a long ago, and I was pretty sure I called him out on at as well, but it was different having him confirm it.

"Just like Kaa-san, huh." I mumbled, unconsciously reaching towards my face with one of my hands. His grip tightened a bit and his breathing hitched at my confirmation.

"Yes. And you know what happened with Kaa-san."

"Do you hate her, Shoto-kun?" He shook his head slightly at my question.

"No, I can't hate either of you. I only hate him. It's his fault, all of it. I won't let him get any satisfaction." His eyes narrowed, scowling slightly as he spoke of our father. "But you don't hate him, Homura-chan." I grimaced at his slight accusation, nodding slightly.

"I…I don't think he's right. But, he knows more about Fire than either of us. I don't want to lose control. I want to help people, not hurt them. I can respect him at least as a hero. I think you should too." I swallowed a bit, keeping my tone level as I felt his slight accusatory glare. He had to hear this, if not from Izuku but me. I wasn't as charismatic and driven like Izuku, but I could at least plant the seeds. I could guide him carefully, and maybe, he might win that festival. Now that would be something. I could even spare Katsuki from the League's attention as well if I played my cards right.

"Homura-chan, don't. Don't push it, please." While I hated to do so, I simply nodded and released his hand. Trauma had to be dealt with delicately, or else I would only push him away forever. He seemed to study me for a moment, closing his eyes as a very slight smile appeared on his face. It was small, almost unnoticeable, but I wasn't his twin for nothing.

"Does this mean you'll start calling me Nee-chan again?" I grinned, and he frowned slightly. He seemed to walk ahead a bit faster and I couldn't help but giggle slightly, jogging to keep up with him.

"Kaa-san never said you were older, Homura-chan."

"She never said you were either, remember? That's why we called each other that. It was pretty cute, Shoto-kun." Silence. I sighed a bit, exasperated, but nonetheless pleased with our progress. Our troubles weren't over, and I certainly felt the ice wall around his heart, but at least we could walk to school together without being uncomfortable. That was a start.

* * *

 **A/N: PROGRESS. SCREW IZUKU. SORRY IZUKU. Lol. This chapter was mainly for building bonds and friendships and meeting people! I've got so many things planned for the future you guys are gonna love it! I'm so happy to get your views every chapter - and don't ever worry about offending me or anything unless you're obviously super rude. I'm open to criticisms of all kinds so don't worry! (And i dont care if you swear, literally doesn't matter).**

 **Don't forget to review and let me know on which pairing you want! Pairing with the most votes will be picked! I think I've given you guys a few obvious options, so I can't wait to see what you guys think! Thank you for your views and reviews - means a lot 3**


	10. Battle!

**A/N: Mineta got two votes. MINETA GOT TWO VOTES. YOU GUYS. I don't know what I would have done if ya'll had actually picked him. That would be an INTERESTING thing to write about and keep teen. Wow. lol. The real winner was Katsuki though - with Kirishima coming a close second along with Izuku. Iida was also an interesting choice - and I would have been able to write something easily too - but I think Katsuki will be fun. He's a challenging character too - how to make him angry but not too angry? It'll be tough, but I'll do my best! Also, as for romance, its not an immediate thing. They have a headstart with their previous sparring, but I'd like them to develop their relationship over time. Bear with me!**

 **As usual, thank the lovely Wakacchi for being the best beta reader! I write so fast and they keep up with me, its amazing!**

 **In Brightest Day- TBH you are right. That kid has determination. And the fact that he blatantly says it in front of everybody all the time...the only admirable thing about him LOL**

 **Xenocanaan - If it makes you feel better about it, its not going to be anything forced or immediate. I'd like to build it up realistically if possible!**

 **Maetrix - Yeah, that was a habit on my end from writing on forums a lot oops! I did fix it though, so hopefully new readers will give the story a chance! Yeah I was kind of worried I was dragging it out a lot, but in my opinion, it takes a while for things to fix themselves. And they don't always come together right. And god, I ship Izuku x Uraraka as well! If they had been picked I would have written it, but those two are so cute! Don't think I could tear them apart! Oh man, the league of villains...hehehe...I have plans!**

 **Guest #1 - Yes, I figured she'd hate awkward walks for their entire school years haha! The road to recovery is a tough one though, so you'll have to wait and see!**

 **God of Twilight - Iida is a cute kiddo absolutely! I loved his reaction to Uraraka's reasons for being a hero personally - too cute!**

 **UnmemorableHermit - I might be pushing friendships a bit fast for her, but I'm working around that. I'm pretty syked to be able to write dialogue for more than just two or three people. Their interactions are always fun to write! "I didnt come here to make friends" Shoto. PFT! And yes, they're working through it 3 Sorta. Pairings weren't the plan originally, but I figured it wouldnt be a bad addition as long as I don't force it too fast. Especially considering her isolation for a while, it'll be a bit awkward at first!**

 **Maester Ta - Everybody likes Katsuki! I beat it was their team up that did it haha! and thank you 3**

 **Kirika o7- Yeah, with her I know her character understands this isn't a story. I was going to let her leave it be, but honestly that'd be too boring. They'd have almost no interactions for way too long. And she wants to get better with him - so it wouldn't make sense for her to ignore it. The pairing will be a slow burn type of deal, so it wont be something suddenly forced and rushed dont worry! And honestly, someone else mentioned Tokoyami as well! He's weak to fire, but imagine that shed be able to calm down his shadow at night~!**

 **HaPPy2901 - I always crack my knuckles when I get to your review! I love it always - so much to respond to! Hehe, well I wasn't rooting for any pairing in particular, but she definitely gets along with others better. Also, you suggested MINETA! hahaha! You'd regret that so much if he won. Everybody would. I think I'd lose every viewer the moment I did that PFT.**

 **I think she will get pretty close to Kirishima - while Katsuki won the vote, they definitely will remain super close as buddies. Somebody has to snap at Katsuki whenever he acts like too much of a tool! (Besides Shoto anyways). I like her friendships with Kirishima, Izuku, Katsuki and Ashido the best - but I'm going to try to develop the others as well. I've got plans, many many plans...!**

 **Shoto doesnt know yet. But he will. You'll just have to wait and see, since he's doing his whole 'nobody talk to me' routine atm. I'm leaning more towards the 'silent, subtle ass kicking that nobody notices' scenario lol!**

 **You are a joy to read when it comes to your reviews trust me! I'm always waiting for you and my other frequent reviewers - it makes my day!**

 **Guest #2 - can't believe you suggested Mineta HA.**

 **skidney - always so sweet thank you!**

 **saber007 - Thats so funny, picking because Endeavor would approve of their quirk potential (ignoring the fact that I don't think Izuku's can inherit like that). I'm a huge IzukuxUraraka fan myself though! Iida was a really interesting choice in my opinion! He admires his brother so much - and Homura does too, but she can't get the love back like Iida. And with the Stain incident, it'd be a really interesting thing to play with romantically!**

 **Guest #3- Yeah, I think I rushed them, but they'll develop slowly and realistically throughout the story! I'm dealing with the trauma slowly and carefully - I don't want the twins to be buddy buddy right off the bat. You guys came here for drama, and boy am I ready to deliver! I'm glad you kind of understand that the fault is on both ends - I was worried people might only blame Shoto or Homura. It's an issue that has to be resolved by both, not just one! It's definitely going to be really interesting to write about, hopefully I portray Katsuki accurately. He's a difficult one to write about.**

 **Alien-planet - Sorry, not this time around! But you'll definitely get some fluffy friendship shenanigans, so there will be cute scenes!**

 **Wanderstar - thank you! Slowly getting better!**

 **Meowgenics- maybe! The festival arc is pretty far away at least two weeks after the USJ incident**

 **It's really ironic that Shoto and Homura's problems stem from the idea of quirk marriage. And that everybody is suggesting Katsuki based on their quirks! Isn't that just too funny you guys! haha! Anyways, hope you enjoy! Thank you for your kind words and support!**

* * *

Somehow, I had become Present Mic's favorite student and I wasn't entirely sure why.

"Homura-san, tell me where the mistake is in this next English sentence example! Yeeeah!"

Kirshima's snickering from in front didn't help at all, and I let out a resigned sigh as I continued with being the only student called out during the entire class. I wish I could say I was entirely confused as to why he called on me all the time, but it was clear why. I was the only student to respond to him during the exam, and had thus gained his favor. I was also the top student in English, thanks to my memories and adult mind. All in all, I was everything Present Mic wanted in a student.

"This is all your fault. You're a jerk." I muttered, leaning back against Kirishima's desk during the small break in between classes. Ashido giggled from her chair, sitting backwards to talk with us. I had no sympathy from anybody apparently.

"Hey, at least you're getting top grades in the class. This stuff is so hard, ugh. You should stop by my place to help me study." I rolled my eyes at Kaminari, a strong but not so smart yellow-haired boy who took the seat next to Kirishima. He was nice, but his approach to girls needed some work. At least he was a bearable flirt.

"Or you could study harder?" I gave him an unimpressed look and he snorted, sighing dramatically.

"Homura-chan, studying isn't cool! Just you wait until we work with our quirks, I'll show you all something really awesome!" He did a fist pump in the air, and I couldn't help but laugh a bit. Yeah, he was a lot better than Mineta.

"When do you think we'll be doing something that involves our quirks? OH no wait, I really want to use my costume! I'm so excited for it!" Ashido squealed, bouncing up and down just a bit.

"Oh, yeah! Man, I'm so pumped! I'm going to show you all how much of a man I am in my costume!" Kirishima grinned, mirroring Kaminari's fist pump with a bit more ferocity.

"I almost forgot about our costumes with our P.E. gear and all. Hopefully they didn't mess up my design request." I hummed thoughtfully, rubbing my chin. I had made sure to specify everything I wanted, even going as far as to draw it out to make sure they didn't have too much artistic liberty.

"Aren't those companies supposed to be professional? They wouldn't change up a design too much would they?" Ojiro flicked his tail slightly, a confused expression on his face. I considered him the innocent version of Uraraka, an incredibly nice guy who didn't always understand how some people could behave. I messed with my ponytail, trying to figure out how to explain it without Mineta overhearing. Last thing I needed was his lewd comments.

"Uuum, well… sometimes people have specific taste in clothing. And sometimes that involves there being a lack of." I explained weakly, Ojiro frowning a bit and flushing slightly. Kirishima and Kaminari both snickered at the boy's sudden embarrassment.

"Most of the time, it's guys who only have their left hand for company. Like these two!" Ashido suddenly piped in, pointing at both Kirishima and Kaminari. My eyes widened slightly. I choked a bit, both boys letting out various offended noises.

"That was a very bad joke, ribbit!" Tsuyu commented, tilting her head slightly while Ashido giggled at the global discomfort she caused.

"Does anybody in this class have any shame?" I muttered, the chorus of laughter answering my question. I eventually wandered back to my seat along with everybody else as the next class began. Despite knowing what was going to happen, I still nearly jumped out of my seat when All Might burst in to the room. Only Present Mic seemed to rival his loud presence. Even then, there was barely a comparison.

"IT'S ME—Through the door, like a normal person!" he announced, holding on to the doorframes as he puffed his chest out dramatically.

"You came!" Izuku just about squealed, eyes wide with a huge grin as the legendary hero sauntered in to the room. Everybody buzzed with excitement, and I even caught Shoto's eyes shining very slightly before he composed himself. I couldn't help but giggle – Shoto was a closet fanboy.

"I can't believe it! All Might's really gonna be teaching us!"

"That design is so silver age! The art style clashes so much it gives me goosebumps!"

I think only Katsuki and I really kept our excitement subdued. Though Katsuki had this eerie grin on his face. He looked as though he was about to jump out of his chair and challenge the man, and for all I knew, he might do that.

I was particularly excited for our costumes, since my design was cool. I cheated a bit, borrowing specific pieces from Shoto's set, but we shared our quirk, so it was really expected.

"Foundational Hero studies! For this class, we'll be building up your hero foundation through various trials!" All Might flexed and continued posing as he made his way to the front of the classroom, and I had a hard time stifling my giggles. I clamped my hand over my mouth quickly, looking around to see if I was the only one having a hard time. Apparently, All Might's status was enough to gain only awe from the rest of the class. He wasted no time in between poses, keeping our attention easily.

"Let's jump right in with this! The trial of battle!" It made me a bit nervous thinking about it, considering I had limited sparring partners. They either had the same quirk, something similar, or could counter my quirk. From what I knew of a lot of kids in this class, that wasn't the case.

"The trial of battle!" Katsuki just about howled with job, his grin growing wider. He clenched his fists, slight sparks popping out of his palms as he did so. He glanced around the room suddenly, as though scouting out potential targets. His eyes drifted to Izuku for a moment before he suddenly stared at me, smirking.

Well, if that wasn't an invitation to fight, then it was going to be really awkward later on. I didn't respond to his sudden hostility, simply quirking an eyebrow at him until he finally moved on to evaluating somebody else.

The wall on our left seemed to tremble slightly, gears whirring as everything shifted. I glanced over at the sudden noise, watching as pristine shelves slowly slid out from the wall. My heart raced a bit as I recognized the containers with our costumes, and I couldn't help but smile widely.

"And to go with your first battle, we've prepared the gear we had you send in requests for to match your quirks!" All Might announced, the entire classroom erupting with enthusiasm.

"Our battle gear!" Kirishima cheered, grinning widely. Everybody else stood up alongside him, nearly knocking each other over as they crowded the shelves. I watched the carnage from afar, waiting for the crowd to thin out a bit. Izuku seemed to have the same idea, though he held his own bookbag as well.

"Wait, didn't you get a costume from the school?" I stared at the bag, already knowing what he held. His grip seemed to tighten on it and he grew a fond smile, sighing.

"I got a few pieces yeah, but the main jump suit is in here. Kaa-san got it for me, I think it means more when your family gives it to you, don't you think?" he hummed a bit, looking at me with those innocent wide eyes. I coughed awkwardly, smiling all the while.

"Uh, yeah I suppose so. But with my family, it wouldn't have made any sense. I had the entire piece assembled through the school's support companies. Most of my gear needs special fabrics anyways." I admitted, Izuku nodding regardless.

"That makes sense Homura-chan! Ah, I gotta get my stuff! I'll meet you on the training field!" he grinned, finally pushing his way through to grab his suitcase. I eventually wandered in myself, though my path to the lockers was blocked by a nuisance as I tried to leave.

"What do you want, bastard? I've got to get ready. You're going to make me late." I grumbled, Katsuki scowling for a moment before smirking. He jabbed a finger in my direction before gesturing towards himself.

"Just reminding you who fucking kicked your ass every time, bitch. I hope we get to fight. After I kill that fucking Deku." He snarled towards the end, his residual anger igniting once more at the thought of Izuku. I had known he was still unreasonably angry at Izuku, but seeing him express it was more than just a bit concerning.

"Heroes don't kill, stupid. Besides, we were evenly matched for the most part. Endurant-sensei even said we were pretty close to being on par and I've been training, so we'll see. You don't even know what we're doing, so how about you let me go change now?" I snapped slightly, more than a little excited to try on my costume. I didn't really want to waste time with his fragile ego and pride, and so I pushed him out of the way slightly as I made my way to the locker room. I couldn't help but snort at his distant shout of outrage, his incoherent rambling drowned out by the door slamming shut behind me. I clutched the suitcase tightly to my chest, smiling.

"And don't forget! From here on out, you're all officially heroes!"

To hear those words in person, was quite frankly, chilling. I had always known that All Might was an inspiring symbol, but his actual words gave me goosebumps as everybody headed for the training field. I myself continued to adjust my hair, making sure it wouldn't get in the way during intense movement.

My costume itself was largely inspired by what would be Shoto's future gear, with the same specially modified combat jacket, vest, pants and belt. The combat jacket and vest both worked together to moderate my body temperature, keeping me at a healthy 98 degrees barring any extreme quirk usage. If I used Fire or Ice without regulation on my own part, the devices could easily fail and cause my body temperature to either exceed or drop below normal temperature. The core of all the mechanical workings of my costume was secured tightly on my back and protected by a metal casing. It limited my movement, but was a necessity. The belt held nothing at the moment, the pouches empty since I didn't really need anything currently.

For the rest of my gear, I wore a pair of heat and cool resistant gauntlets, able to withstand extreme temperatures and allow me to gather either fire and ice without damaging my own hands. Depending on which part of our quirk I was using, I could freeze my fingers stiff or create a large buildup of sweat. Neither outcome was desirable, and thus had to be addressed. I also wore a pair of adjustable boots, allowing the spikes on the bottom to retract depending on my desired movements with Ice. I could either keep my footing easily with the spikes, or retract them to allow myself to slide easily across.

As a personal touch, I had the colors changed to a faded red rather than a blue, as I used Fire more frequently than I did Ice. I also had a red bandanna in place, my hair carefully tucked underneath it to ensure it didn't get caught on anything or swung in to my face during a fight. The last thing I needed was for my vision to be obscured by my own hair. Other heroes could easily work around this disadvantage, but I preferred to stay safe.

The final piece was a simple pair of goggles, designed to protect my eyes from intense temperatures and enhance my vision in smoke. Shoto and Father might have been able to ignore the environmental disturbances created by our fire, or in Shoto's case our ice, but my eyes would water at the slightest interference. Better to be safe than sorry.

I also had a large white "T" emblazoned on my back, which may have looked corny but really made me feel heroic. To others, it usually was considered "Todoroki" for my family name, but for me it meant "Twin". Shoto had stared for a bit at the letter, and from his expression, I knew he understand what I was conveying. I didn't press the subject, however, as we approached the field and instead gave him my opinion on his costume.

"Why in the world did you FREEZE half your body?" I could feel my eyes practically bugging out of their sockets, giving my brother another assessment as I tried to figure out how that didn't hurt him. He practically screamed cyborg with the glowing red where his eye should have been, and I felt myself growing even more concerned about his mental health.

"It was a necessity." Was his only response, and I could practically feel my eyes roll right out of their sockets. I had to keep myself calm, considering his trauma, and I took a deep breath. I had known what his costume was going to be, but somehow seeing it in person was different than watching it on a T.V. Somehow, it felt more personal.

"You're hiding your red. You're doing that thing where anything red puts you off. Doesn't that hurt you? That can't be healthy!" I continued gently, trying to be as calm as possible. It was hard though – seeing your brother practically freeze his body to escape their father. If I had burned my red as well, would he understand my feelings? I banished the thought quickly, knowing that wasn't healthy either. Someone had to be the normal one here, and it would have to be me. I was normal. I was fine. Shoto needed help, support, and I had to give that to him.

"I feel fine, Homura-chan. You should focus more on yourself than me. I know my limits." He spoke dismissively, heading outside before I could finish grilling him. I grit my teeth but gracefully bowed out – for now. Instead, I followed the rest of the class outside as we headed for the fields.

"Homura-chan, your costume looks great!" Ashido squealed, clapping her hands as she maneuvered over to me through the group. She tugged Kirishima over behind her, who gave me an approving grin.

"Yeah, that looks awesome! Not as manly as mine, but it's still cool!" he exclaimed, flexing his arms in display. I snorted, covering my mouth. His entire chest was bare, proudly displaying his toned body. Confidence wasn't a bad thing, though, and I simply nodded at his costume.

"It looks great, though you'll definitely catch a chill like that. Better either avoid cold areas or invest in a secondary costume." I rambled just a bit and Ashido giggled.

"You sound like a textbook come to life, Homura-chan. Personally, I think mine is the best here. I feel amazing~!" she twirled around a bit, hands on her hips as she proudly displayed her clashing skintight body suit, complete with a pair of boots and jacket. Personally, the white mask was my favorite part of her costume.

"Oh wow, that looks really flashy. Especially those boots – wow are they modified?" I gave her another look and she grinned.

"Yeah, I can secrete acid through them without damaging them! It lets me slide around for mobility! Isn't it cool? Your boots looke cute too!" she grinned, and I could feel myself sweat drop a bit. Leave it to Ashido to focus on appearances – power to her I guess?

"Ah yeah, they have spikes on them. I can retract them depending on if I want to slide on my ice or not lose my balance." I explained, Ashido's smile growing wider.

"Oh, then we both slide around with our boots! That's awesome!" she pulled me in to a tight hug, and I carefully returned it while Kirishima snickered at the scene.

"Ah, Homura-chan, you look great! I'm glad you used some of my notes!" Izuku's voice caught my attention and I nodded at Kirishima and Ashido as I gravitated towards the boy. His gear was not as advanced as mine was, but it suited his quirk all the same. Sometimes the simpler the better.

"Oh my god, Izuku-kun, you kept the ears? I thought I told you those looked dumb! I'd say you were a mini-All Might looking at you!" I snorted, giggling just a bit. His eyes widened slightly behind his mask and he seemed to panic, and I had to do everything I could to pretend I didn't notice his nervousness.

"U-uh, do I now? Ehehe, what a coincidence! I thought they looked pretty cool though. I want to aim for the top, s-so I guess I better look like it?" I laughed at his sudden self-consciousness, patting him on the shoulder gently.

"Don't worry too much about it, I'm only teasing. You look great. I really like the jump suit the best though! It suits you!" I smiled, relieved when he relaxed himself.

"Ah, Deku! Cool costume! It looks really practical!" Uraraka's voice carried over to where we were, the girl jogging over to us lightly. I had to place a hand on Izuku's shoulder firmly as I felt him stiffen at the sight of her. I could admit, she looked great, but now was not the time to get nervous.

"U-Uraraka, W-wow!" Izuku stammered, heat practically radiating from his body as she twirled around a bit.

"I wish I'd drawn my request a little better myself. It didn't come out quite like I imagined…" She grinned, laughing nervously.

"And that's why I spent so long drawing mine out." I muttered, doing my best to ignore Mineta's sudden gravitational pull towards their group.

"Eh, your costume looks so great Homura-chan! You look so serious and mature! Just like a Pro!" Uraraka gave me an approving nod, one I returned just as easily.

"Yours too, Uraraka-chan! Though, I thought you were going for a fluffier design? Weren't you basing it off an astronaut?" I let go of Izuku's shoulder, walking over to really inspect it. That's what I wanted everyone to think anyways. I knew I wouldn't control myself once Mineta starting leering and making comments, so I quickly put my distance between the weird grape boy. If anything, I'd get my chance to pummel him in to the dirt today.

That'd be fun.

"I'm liking everyone's style! Very cool!" All Might seemed to approach each and every student, particularly approving of my modest design.

"Homura-san! Your practical approach is admirable! Don't be afraid to let loose with the design though!" he critiqued with a large smile, and I found myself beaming brightly. It was hard not to preen a bit when the greatest hero complimented you so easily. This class was going to be a real confidence booster if he taught us like that.

"Sensei! Regarding the performance ground we'll be using, is it the mock-city from the entrance exam?" Iida suddenly caught the Hero's attention, his armor glinting in the sun. His design had been a favorite of mine with how modern and sleek it was. Honestly, it probably was the coolest out of all of ours. If I had been born with a different quirk, I might have gone for a battle suit style costume as well.

"You'll see! In fact, take two steps and you'll be there! This will be an indoor battle trial!" All Might announced, jumping forward to land gracefully in front of everybody.

"Villain cleanup is usually seen out in the open, but statistically most acts of villainy are committed indoors!" I frowned slightly, rubbing my chin.

"Does that mean those of us with more…. Environmentally damaging quirks will have a harder time?" I called out, All Might's attention snapping to me. He laughed loudly, shaking his head.

"No no, you misunderstand. Lots of villains' cause trouble outside as well! Some heroes will be suited for different areas! Many of you will find yourself assigned to areas where you can be of use in your careers!" he answered easily, and I felt any doubt blown away by his statements.

"What a stupid fucking question." Katsuki suddenly made his presence known beside me and I jumped a bit. He ignored my reaction, mostly concentrating on All Might as he explained the rest of the trials. He had taken on his battle persona, evaluating and strategizing for his next moves. If I hadn't sparred with him for years, I would have pegged him as an overconfident, hothead who thought about nothing but fighting. It was these moments that I could appreciate his insane battle sense. Anybody who thought otherwise was honestly, in my opinion, severely underestimating Katsuki.

"Also, as we have an odd number of students this time around, I had chosen a student that will sit down during this exercise! Mineta-san, you'll have an opportunity at a later date!" All the girls seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, including myself, at the dismissal of the perverted weirdo. I, for one, would have forfeited before our turn even came up if I ended up paired with him. It was a bit concerning, however, when I remember how this scenario was supposed to go. I had no idea what would be happening, but hopefully I could work my way through this. We all lined up as All Might withdrew a box, and I carefully pulled out my paper.

"Ah, Homura-chan, we're on the same team!" Izuku looked relieved, though I couldn't help but worry. I had replaced Uraraka in this scenario, who had apparently taken Mineta's place instead. Everything else seemed to go along with the manga, and I felt myself grimacing as our opponents were announced. We would be fighting Katsuki and Iida.

After everybody vacated the area, Izuku and I both gripped the maps tightly, our nerves frayed by the impending battle. We were both silent for a moment, and I wasn't sure what to say before he finally broke the awkwardness.

"Are you nervous too Homura-chan? After all we're fighting…" he didn't finish, but we both knew the answer. I sighed.

"Well, yeah considering its that bastard. I can keep up with him, but his battle sense is amazing. Do you know anything about Iida? I only saw him during the test, but his quirk looked really useful." I hummed, Izuku nodding a bit.

"Yeah…he's really good too. They're both really good, but I…I want to win. I can't help but feel tense too, but I imagine our reasons are different…" he chuckled nervously, and I tilted my head slightly. He continued on quietly at first.

"Kacchan…I hate his guts, but I admire him. His ambition, his confidence, his strength, his quirk…" He swallowed. "He's better than me a hundred different ways. But…I don't want to lose! If that makes sense." He admitted weakly, and I sighed, placing my hand on his shoulder once again.

"If you worry about that stuff, then you're going to make it harder for the both of us. I've fought Katsuki-kun myself and I can vouch for his talent, but if we doubt ourselves then we won't win. I learned that from Endurant-sensei. If you give up on yourself, then you're only path is defeat. We can win!" I pulled a leaf out of Kirishima's book, doing a fist pump as I tried to inspire. It seemed to work, Izuku staring at me with wide eyes before he smirked. He exchanged fist bumps at my insistence, veering away from our confidence issues and towards the battle at hand.

"From what I gather, we mostly have your Fire and Ice to work with. My quirk…I can't reign it in yet. If I hit somebody, It'll be too much damage…" Izuku admitted grimly as we entered from the bottom floor, unable to make it through the higher window without Uraraka's quirk. It was a minor setback, but it gave us time for planning as we carefully snuck through the hallways.

"I'm more concerned about you hurting yourself, Izuku-kun. Don't do something stupid. For our sake and theirs." I made sure to remind him of the consequences to his own body, hoping to negate the damage he did before. I hadn't seen more than a broken finger in person myself, but I don't know what I'd do if I saw his whole body ravaged. I don't know if I could handle that kind of gruesome scene, especially when my friend was involved.

"I know, Homura-chan. Don't worry. Kaachan will definitely be looking for us though. He's going to want to fight one of us, or worse, both." He hummed as we advanced through the building.

"Yeah, I don't know who he wants to fight more. Hopefully me, since I can keep up. One of us is going to have to slip by and face Iida-kun." Izuku nodded.

"I…I think I can handle Kacchan. I've been watching him for years. I can hold him off. I think it'd be better for you to face Iida-kun. He's at a severe disadvantage with your Fire and Ice!" I stared at him, not quite getting it. He seemed to notice my confused silence and easily explained.

"His quirk…it's like an engine. So, I'd think it'd be susceptible to extreme weather! You can probably stop him if you can get to his engine!" I blinked…at the sheer brilliance of it. I couldn't help but grin, going for a possible head noogie when the wall suddenly exploded as Katsuki burst out from a hallway, his palms exploding and sending us both flying. I quickly let my goggles flip down over my eyes, scanning the situation. I heard Izuku coughing a bit, relieved to know he was mostly unharmed.

"Dammit you two, don't dodge me!" Katsuki snarled as the smoke cleared, his eyes narrowed furiously. Half of Izuku's mask had been burned off, and I couldn't help but worry. Ironically, it was Izuku who made sure to check up on me.

"He only grazed me! Are you okay, Homura-chan?!" Izuku spluttered a bit, holding his arm over his face to protect it from the smoke. I swallowed a bit, unused to this tag team battle, nodding furiously.

"Yeah, I'm fine! Tch, of course he has to make a flashy entrance…but it's just him?" I confirmed my theory as the smoke finally cleared, revealing only Katsuki is his full glory.

"Yes! Homura-chan, can you make your way around him?" Izuku spoke urgently, already pulling me up before he finished his question. I gave him a bewildered look.

"I can, but I still think I should fight Katsuki-kun! He'll kill you!" I argued, pushing Izuku away as I stood up. Izuku simply stood in front of my, fists clenched as he and Katsuki seemed to square off. I blinked, finally understanding I wasn't going to convince him otherwise. I grimaced a bit at the situation before sighing, eyes narrowing quickly as I blasted flames down my arms to shoot past Katsuki. The two of us locked eyes for a moment, Katsuki reaching in vain for me as I made it past him.

"Don't worry about me Homura-chan, I can handle him!" Izuku shouted, purposely enraging Katsuki. No, Katsuki was fully aware of what was going on, choosing to instead focus on the weaker link. I knew if I didn't hurry fast enough, Katsuki would come back to support Iida after defeating Izuku. I ignored the enraged and vicious shouting from behind as I dashed through the hallways, searching for the room. It took me about a minute or two, but I eventually stumbled upon the room with the bomb. The room had been cleaned like it had been against Uraraka, but this time for a different reason.

"I've cleaned this room thoroughly! Now I'll make short work of you, hero! Fwahahaha!" Iida's fake cackling nearly had me in tear, but I kept myself composed the best I could. At most, I'm pretty sure I trembled a bit from my quite snickering, but I recovered quickly. Now was not the time to play.

"A hero never falls! Justice will prevail, evildoer!" I chanted loudly, dramatically posing for emphasis. If Iida was going to go to the trouble of getting in character, I might as well. I could practically hear Kirishima snickering from the monitor room as I stood there for a second, Iida staring at my performance. He clapped his hands together out of joy for a second, before realizing his break in character and quickly returning to his villain state.

"Your determination is admirable, but you will soon face the wrath of me! Mwahaha!" he cackled, extending his arms out before suddenly shooting forward, reaching for me. I narrowed my eyes, smirking a bit as I blasted myself to the side with my fire, slightly slower than I would have been if I wasn't carrying both Ice and Fire. As it was, I used my left hand to propel myself at a distance, my right hand aimed at the ground as I covered it with ice. I could stop his speedy movements if he had to dodge the ice, further giving myself the advantage. Iida quickly noticed the floor's change, jumping over a patch of ice before skidding to a stop.

"What an incredible quirk! I can see I have a disadvantage here!" he muttered, tilting his head slightly as he evaluated the situation. I grinned, pleased with his assessment.

"I imagine so! And if I freeze this whole floor, how can you catch me when I get the nuclear? The answer is simply. You don't." I couldn't help but grin cheekily, ice expanding out from beneath me as I made a dash for the bomb. Iida jerked a bit in surprise before using his quirk, pouring in an intense amount of speed to catch up. I brought up an ice wall to delay him, but to my surprise, he simply used his armor as a battering ram to blast through it and collide with me. I quickly dug my feet in to the ground, the spike protruding out as they caught in the ice to stop both of us from falling.

"There's always an answer if you think hard enough, Homura-chan!" Iida exclaimed, and I couldn't help but smile myself, shoving him off me before he could catch me with the tape. I brought a small ice wall up to separate us, backing up a bit.

"I'd be disappointing if it were too easy anyways, Iida-kun! Now, show me how a villain fights!" I spoke over dramatically as he suddenly shot forward once again, circling around me carefully. I let my ice spread out from underneath me, spikes shooting upwards to try and deter him. Iida maneuvered around the spikes and I was forced to jump out of the circle, catching on to his plan. He had been trying to circle me with the capture tape in his hand, hoping to do a quickly circle around and yank the tape around me.

"Homura-chan! Where are you!?" Izuku's voice suddenly crackled in my air, sounding strained and mildly worried. I frowned, keeping my eyes on Iida as he positioned himself in front of the bomb once more.

"I'm in the middle room on the fifth floor! What's wrong?" I muttered, trying my best to not wince at the scuffles I heard on the other end. He went silent for a moment, and suddenly the whole building seemed to tremble. Iida and I both stumbled a bit, caught off guard by the explosion.

"I-IZUKU?" I shouted in to the mic, Iida seeming to mirror my frantic thoughts.

"W-what was that explosion? Are we allowed to destroy the build like that? Isn't that dangerous?" he squawked by the bomb, and I nearly forgot this was a training exercise. That stupid, idiotic, pride-filled jerk…! I was going to beat him senseless once I got my hands on him, though I was more concerned about Izuku's health than anything.

"W-whats the situation, Homura-chan?" Izuku wheezed out, and I almost laughed at the absurdity.

"You're asking me about the bomb, when it sounds like one just went off down there? Are you OKAY?" I snapped angrily, completely disregarding the test for the moment. Iida seemed to be at a loss for words while I completely ignored him. It was then I heard the announcement from All Might, who seemed way too calm for this kind of situation. The building was barely stable, the ground trembling a bit from the explosion. At this rate, there wouldn't be a building for the other teams to use.

"J-just, tell me what I-I can do!" Izuku's voice was weak and strained, followed by explosions and ranting from Katsuki's end. I wanted to yell at him. I wanted to go down there and stop their stupid teenage boy drama right then and there. I found myself, only nodding numbly, narrowing my eyes as I analyzed my situation.

"If..you break the floor beneath him, I can use my ice to stop the bomb from falling! I can let him fall further, but stop the bomb. But you have to be fast, I don't think we have a lot of time! And don't you dare hurt yourself, Izuku-kun!" I added hastily, knowing that it was a futile gesture. It was only a few seconds later that Izuku screamed in to the microphone and I ran, full sprint towards the surprised Iida. A few seconds after that, the ground exploded beneath the both of us as the whole building trembled and gave way, my ice shooting out from where my palm gestured. It shot forward, catching the bomb underneath it while Iida fell.

I ran forward across the ice, panting heavily as the building collapsed around me. I was in full blown panic mode – torn between capturing the bomb and making sure everybody else was okay. The only thing keeping me on this floor was the ice, and I knew my power. My ice was not that strong. It cracked and trembled beneath my weight, the path behind me destroyed by debris falling. I retracted the spikes from my boots, using my fire to blast myself forward faster. I just had to reach the bomb. All we had to do was touch it once and we won.

My hand grazed the bomb, but as I did so, my eyes immediately sought out Izuku beneath the crumbling floor. I caught sight of him, thrown across the room from Katsuki's explosion. Iida had fallen on the same floor, panicking and shouting as the building collapsed around us. I couldn't focus on that, though. I saw fire. I saw heat. I saw half of Izuku's mask blown apart.

I saw mother. I saw Shoto. I saw boiling water pouring down, destroying his innocence. I was my flame, wild and untamed, wreaking havoc on the building around me. I held my hand to my head, eyes wide and frightful as my mind suddenly was unable to understand where I was. Was I in a collapsing building, participating in an exercise? Was I at home, watching as my mother destroyed my brother's face? Was I huddled on the ground, screaming and crying as my fire burnt everything. Where was I?

I felt the flames consume me, bursting out erratically as the Ice died down to a faint whisper within. I could barely think, let alone try to control the burning as it spread. I was vaguely aware of Iida and Izuku shouting in the distance, All Might's alarmed voice through the speaker as I tried to close myself up. The only thing I could really feel was the uncontrollable emotions inside me, images assaulting my mind. Other than that, I felt myself collide with a body, their arm gripping me firmly and growling.

"You fucking–You're doing this again?!"

I thought I was fine. I could help Shoto if I was fine, that was the only way. If I was fine and healthy and sane, I could fix him and make him better. I couldn't do that if I wasn't fine.

I felt the Fire and Ice being yanked forcibly out of me, everything around me a blur as I tried to focus. I couldn't, clinging to whoever had caught me as I flew through the air. I was dimly aware of the movement around me, my body and mind still in full blown panic mode. I heard the yelling and shouting–felt myself suddenly being jerked elsewhere.

Then, I was gone.

* * *

 **A/N: I bet you guys thought she was fine! So did Shoto! That's NOT the case though! Sometimes triggers are so specific that you rarely see them, but when they happen, it gets really bad!**

 **Thank you guys for your reviews and comment - and participation in the pairing vote I'm happy I heard from a lot of you! I hope I get to hear from you guys again (kind words, criticism, etc are all accepted dont worry!). This story is so much fun to write, I'm glad I have people to share it with!**


	11. Intervention

**A/N: This chapter was hard to write, to be honest with you guys! I rewrote the first scene about four times, deleting thousands of words before I finally settled on something. Katsuki is honestly really hard to write - you have to find that balance of being a decent guy and being an asshole. He CAN be nice, but its in very specific situations and very rare. It's a challenge to write him in, but I think I'll get it. I'm sorry to those who were hoping for other pairings - at the very least, there's gonna be a lot of friendship fluff you'll like still.**

 **Special thanks to my BR, Wakacchi! They're amazing!**

 **SOS - It's been a subconscious thing for the most part, but now she cant ignore it anymore. Gonna take a lot of work to get through it, especially if she wants to be a hero!**

 **saber007 - Iida is super adorable so its kinda hard NOT to write cute scenes! They'll still be close friends, so hopefully you'll like all their interactions!**

 **In Brightest day - you're just one chapter off from the vote sadly :( She couldn't prevent the past...the lingering guilt is tough on her!**

 **Maetrix - He's a stubborn boy, that one. I always found it crazy how he didn't notice the likeness between him and his father with that attitude. You'd think he wanted to be different. Yeah its like, she IS a happy girl for the most part considering her situation, but there are some things that cant be ignored.**

 **Maester Ta - It definitely is a better time, but realizing it doesn't make it go away. It is still a very dangerous and possible problem in the future!**

 **Guest #1 - Hope you enjoy the chapter then!**

 **Etha - You'll have to read and see! Thank you for your words! I don't think she expected it either haha.**

 **kirika o7 - PFFFT I never thought about it that way, but now that you mention it HMMMMMM. Thats gonna be in my head for a while now lololol. Maaaybe not for this story, though I might write different stories at some point. I want to get this one pretty far before I consider other stories though! Thank you for your words! You'll have to read to find out, eh?**

 **Nostellion - Thank you so much! I try to be original when I can!**

 **SirRacha (answering all reviews at once). - The Japanese was only for one chapter luckily! / Thank you! / Its not always easy to change things, especially if you're not in the situation you can! You'll have to read on to see whats decided!**

 **Guest #2 - Everybody likes Iida apparently! Theyre still gonna have plenty of moments - just not romantically!**

* * *

"Break the ice."

Kirishima snapped his attention away from the chaos on the screen, staring at the suddenly vocal Shoto. They had only been in the same class for a few days now, but he had never really heard Homura's brother speak at all. It was a strange contrast to Homura's bright and loud personality, but he could respect it. It still stunned him just a bit.

"Are you listening to me? Break the ice." Shoto urged the red-haired boy out of his momentary stupor, Kirishima blinking before nodding. He clenched his fist carefully, his arm hardening in to a spear.

"You're Homura-chan's brother, right? The name's Kirishima. This isn't going to hurt you, is it?" Kirishima hesitated slightly, raising his arm above the other boy's shoulder. Shoto frowned slightly, growing impatient as the scene unfolded on the screen in front of them. He didn't have time to waste, he needed to take their quirk back. He couldn't do that if he wasn't mobile enough.

Homura had really been right all along, the ice served no purpose other than to obscure the reminders. In fact, the ice weighed him down and made it more difficult to move. Something that had never really troubled him before. His accuracy and control over his ice was so great, he hardly needed to move half the time. It was an obvious weakness, one he now had to acknowledge.

"No, it won't. Just break it already, we don't have time for this shit." Shoto bit out, doing his best to keep his temper from flaring. Kirishima quirked an eyebrow at the sudden hostility, but nodded and brought his arm down carefully. The ice cracked a bit, and when Shoto flexed his limbs, shattered. He dusts off the remnants of the ice, shaking his arm to make sure it was okay.

"Homura-san, I need you to cease with your quirk! If you don't stop, you'll injure somebody!" All Might's voice was the perfect example of calm. Unlike him, the students were growing frantic by the second.

"Someone needs to go in there and save them! If the building doesn't crush them, Homura-chan might just turn them to ashes!" Ashido practically shrieked, eyes wide as she stared at the chaos.

"You'd have to be really durable to get through all of that though. It's becoming really hazardous between the fire and debris, ribbit." Tsuyu muttered, tilting her head slightly at the scene. Shoto ignored the lot of them, pushing his way through the small crowd to where All Might stood.

"Settle down everyone! I'll go get them out. You all need to stay here and remain calm!" All Might whipped around, cape billowing behind him as he made his way through the group of kids. Shoto easily cut him off before he could leave, eyes narrowed slightly.

"Sensei, you need to take me with you. I can't take the quirk from here – I have to get closer." All Might frowned at the suggestion, not entirely willing to put another student in danger.

"Todoroki-san, you don't need to worry! I can easily withstand the flames from your sister. I should be able to get them all out of there myself." All Might tried to discourage the boy, but Shoto simply shook his head.

"If she doesn't calm down, then all you're doing is moving her and the fire somewhere else. I just need to be in range and then there'll only be the building to worry about!" Shoto argued, taking a small step forward. He knew that if she didn't stop the fire, then they would call in Aizawa. They had never had their quirk nullified by someone like Aizawa before, and he didn't want to test any theories while Homura was panicking. All Might stared the boy down, surprised at his insistence. It was almost as if he were looking at a younger Endeavor, unperturbed by the power of the other. It was an admirable trait.

"Alright Todoroki my boy, but you need to stay close. We have to ensure the safety of the others as well as your sister!" Shoto nodded at the rules, having expected to be limited. The hero then turned towards the other students.

"Kaminari-san, please inform Recovery girl and Aizawa-san of the situation. The rest of you, remain here until I return." Kaminari blinked before holding a hand to his head, closing his eyes as he contacted the teachers. Kirishima approached Shoto quietly, holding up his fist. Shoto stared at it blankly.

"You make sure to get her and the others back, okay? It's gonna suck if anybody's really hurt. Except Midoriya – that kid has the strongest tolerance I've seen." He grinned, expecting Shoto to return the gesture. Shoto stared at him silently, Kirishima letting out a slightly awkward laugh and dropping his hand once he knew the boy wouldn't reciprocate.

"Ah, not very social, aren't you? Okay well, just don't forget my words! Be a man out there!" he did a fist pump, recovering from the awkwardness quickly. Shoto hesitated for a moment before sighing.

"Don't worry, nobody's going to get hurt. Or, any worse than they already are. All Might is here." He hadn't really intended to console the other kid, but Kirishima seemed to brighten at his words nonetheless. Without so much as a warning, Shoto found himself suddenly scooped up by All Might as they immediately took off. It was a jarring experience, and within minutes the duo had arrived at the crumbling building, Shoto taking a few trembling steps when the hero let him go. He glanced up at the building, searching for signs of the others.

The smoke obscured his vision, making it impossible to pinpoint anybody's location. He took a few steps forward, only to be stopped by All Might's hand resting on his shoulder suddenly.

"Students, are you all right? Let me know where you are!" All Might suddenly shouted, balling up his fist carefully. He had planned to brush aside the wind with a simple punch, but had to make sure the students were ready for it. He could easily knock someone off the building if he wasn't too careful.

"Sensei, we'll all here! I have Midoriya-kun, but Homura-chan isn't well!" Iida suddenly shouted from the cloud of smoke, All Might grimacing slightly. Those two were accounted for, but the other two had yet to respond. Well, he could hear Homura's panicked shrieks, but Katsuki seemed to have gone silent.

"Are you close enough to restrain your quirk?" All Might inquired, looking down at Shoto. He reached out hesitantly, trying to snatch the power away from his twin. It was just a bit out of his reach unfortunately and he shook his head.

"I just need to be a little closer." All Might nodded, suddenly pulling back his fist.

"Students, I need you to hide behind something if you can. I'm going to blast this smoke away!" He suddenly punched the air in front of him, the pressure strong enough to blast away all the smoke. Iida ducked down behind a piece of rubble, holding on carefully to Izuku. The boy had fallen unconscious succumbing to his wounds. The air cleared around him, giving him a view of the building that was slowly falling apart. As soon as it did, however, he heard a sudden noise followed by Katsuki suddenly shouting.

"Fucking finally, took your damn time. Do something about her!" Katsuki snapped, suddenly running out from the hall he had dragged Homura down. He had taken off both of his gauntlets to hold her to him, completely ignoring the flames that were surrounding them as she thrashed around. She was shrieking in English of all languages, her eyes covered by Katsuki's hand as he suddenly jumped off the building. All Might's eyebrows shot up before he took flight, heading towards the suddenly falling duo. Shoto ran forward as well, reaching a hand out as he focused on their quirk. It was difficult, but he managed to yank back both Fire and Ice, the flames around Homura and Katsuki dying down right as All Might caught them both. Homura herself seemed to suddenly fall limp, hanging silently from Katsuki's grip as All Might carefully deposited them on the ground. Shoto ran forward as they landed, holding his hands out instinctively when Katsuki suddenly shoved her forward.

"You three wait here while I collect the other two." All Might took off before he finished, though the boy easily understood the message. Shoto carefully adjusted his hold on his sister while Katsuki scowled, eyes narrowed to slits.

"This is just fucking great. First, I lose to that Deku of all people, and now she goes and loses her shit again!" Shoto stared at the boy,

"Again? You've met before?" Katsuki snorted, giving Shoto and unimpressed look.

"Of course, I do. We've been sparring for years. Aren't you supposed to be twins, how the hell would you not know?" Shoto winced slightly, composing himself quickly. Katsuki either didn't notice, or didn't care.

"…How did you know what to do? Most people wouldn't just cover someone's eyes like that. They'd just subdue her. You just covered her eyes."Shoto ignored the question quietly, carefully avoiding the other boy's gaze.

"Didn't you hear me? We've been sparring for years! I'd have to be pretty fucking oblivious if I didn't catch on to triggers like that. Recommended student huh? Can't even tell when your own damn twin has a problem." Katsuki sneered at the boy and Shoto tensed just a bit. The two boys stared at the other with contempt, neither budging until All Might finally returned with Iida. Behind them, Aizawa approached quietly with what looked like a stretcher carried by two small robots.

"Your first class and already trouble, All Might?" Aizawa muttered, observing the scene in front of him. His gaze lingered on the trio first before quietly moving on to Izuku's limp form. He closed his eyes and sighed, looking up slightly before returning his attention to them.

"I didn't expect to need two stretchers though." All Might rubbed his head awkwardly, chuckling slightly.

"Ah, Aizawa-san, no need to worry the situations under control! I suppose one of the boys wouldn't mind taking Homura-san as well, since she's currently out…?" Shoto immediately stepped forward, only for Aizawa to shake his head.

"No, you remain here with the rest of the class. Bakugou has already participated, so he will take her. I trust I can leave the rest up to you?" Katsuki scowled slightly, clenching his fists but relenting nonetheless. Iida seemed to have been willing to volunteer as well, but Aizawa's word was final. Instead, he and Shoto were escorted back to the monitoring room while Aizawa left with the other two. Shoto remained silent for the remainder of the class, and when his turn came, he ended it within seconds without a word.

* * *

I had notoriously bad timing. If I ever walked in to a room, it was usual during a conversation I really didn't want to hear. In this case, I was already in the room, but the conversation was still something I didn't really want to be a part of.

"Let's not be too loud, discussing All For One…"

"Then you should be quiet, because in case you've forgotten, you landed two students in my infirmary. And it's not your successor that's waking up!"

"Ah – I-I see, we'll discuss this later then!"

I caught a glimpse of All might's haggard form as he dashed from the room, though I pretended to be still mostly unconscious until I was sure he was gone. If there was one thing I'd like to keep sacred, it was his secret. I already knew about it, but there was this thing called respect and All Might deserved every bit of it. Still, I was hardly in the position to be concerned about others while I laid there on an infirmary bed. I squinted my eyes as I slowly came to, jumping up the moment my thoughts unjumbled themselves. The bed squeaked underneath me, and I quickly held my head, wincing at the sudden pain.

"Careful there dearie, you don't want to move too fast." I blinked, glancing at the tiny old woman who slowly made her way over to my bed. I caught sight of Izuku still form in the bed next to me, swallowing hard as I tried to keep it together. Recovery Girl's hand rested on my wrist and I relaxed slightly, slowly turning my attention back to her.

"I…where? What the hell happened?" I muttered, smiling slightly when Recovery girl suddenly took my hand, depositing a small wrapped candy in my hand. I quickly unwrapped the candy and popped it in my mouth, focusing on the sweetness.

"You had a panic attack during an exercise. Scared everybody, especially your brother. Do you happen to know what triggered it?" I nearly choked on the candy at the mention of my brother actually displayed emotion for everybody to see.

"My brother? Scared? You're joking." I deadpanned, and the small lady snorted, carefully hoisting herself in to her chair. She swiveled around to stare at me, a small clipboard in her hand. I pretended not to notice.

"Why wouldn't he? But that's not our real concern here. The real problem is you are clearly traumatized, and your profile never mentioned anything that stood out. Usually when we have students with special cases, we can adjust our training accordingly. Considering your family, I'm surprised to see you have any kind of trigger." I quirked an eyebrow at that and she shook her head, jotting something down on her clipboard.

"Considering my family, I'd be surprised if I were anything but…special. But it doesn't matter, I can control it. I—"She cut my off immediately, not giving me a chance to brush aside the issue.

"If you could, you wouldn't be here. The school isn't going to ignore trauma, especially with a quirk like yours. We'd prefer you speak to someone." I shook my head, looking away.

"I can't just see a therapist…besides this only happened once. I just got scared by everything that was going on. Stress, you know?" I laughed nervously, trying to avoid eye contact. It was ironic, considering I had been trying to help my brother for so long that I'd end up being the one suggested for therapy. I didn't need it, but they didn't know that. Only I knew I was fine. I didn't know how to convince her otherwise though. She clearly didn't believe me.

"Since we've never heard about this before, I'm not sending you to a therapist." I looked up quickly, startled. She had just suggested a therapist, and now she was saying they weren't sending me to one? Suspicious. I narrowed my eyes and she snorted, unaffected.

"I think you'll like the alternative better, in my opinion. Ah, your friend is waking up now." At the mention of Izuku, I nearly sprang out of the bed. Compared to him, my little moment of too much stress was nothing. His arm was wrapped up and bound in a sling, with a few bandages over is face as he slowly stirred. He blinked blearily a few times before doing exactly what I had done before, shooting up suddenly and immediately regretting it.

"Another fast waker huh? Settle down, you shouldn't be moving that fast." Recovery Girl scolded lightly and Izuku winced, he looked over at me, eyes going wide when he realized where we were.

"W-wait, Homura-chan? What are you doing here? Did you get hit by debris or something? Wait no, are you okay?" he squawked, and I had to push down the giggle. The situation wasn't appropriate for humor, and all I managed was a weak smile.

"I'm fine. I just got a little too worked up. I'm more concerned about you. That doesn't look pleasant." He winced a bit, looking down at the cast. Izuku looked a bit confused, glancing back at Recovery Girl.

"You don't have a lot of stamina from being healed before. You're going to have to stay here for the rest of the day while I work on you in dosages. You, on the other hand, should be okay to go now. Make sure you take it easy." She reprimanded Izuku before nodding at me, and I sighed. I was lucky Izuku's timing was better than mine, or he wouldn't have even let me consider worrying about him.

"Guess I'll let the class know you're okay. See you around, Deku-kun?" I teased, and he smiled a bit, watching as I slid out of the bed and quickly exited the room. I stopped outside, taking a deep breath, before making my way through the hallway.

I couldn't believe what had happened. Well, no that was the wrong thought. I knew what had happened and could understand why, but I had assumed I had worked through it. I had years ahead on my body's current age, so I should have been able to get through it easily. Even at the dojo, while I had my moments, I had never gone as far as to endanger everybody around me like that. I grimaced slightly as I walked through the halls, hesitating at the door to the classroom before opening it slowly. I was bombarded.

"Homura-chan, man, are you okay? I was so worried!" Kirishima's face in to view first, and I couldn't help but flinch back. The entire class was staring, minus Shoto who looked at the wall intently. Katsuki seemed to be stuck in the same kind of daze, staring furiously at the wall. I rubbed the back of my head, chuckling nervously.

"Ah, I'm fine. Nothing to worry about, just a few scrapes and bruises, you know?" The red-headed boy cocked an eyebrow, clearly not believing me but letting it slide. Well, it was more like the others joined in before he could press the issue.

"I was really impressed by your power Homura-chan. Ignoring that one moment, you're very talented." Yaoyorozu nodded at me and I returned the gesture with a small smile.

"Your brother as well. I barely had to do anything more than find their locations." Shoji Mezo, the oddly shaped boy added as an afterthought, gesturing towards my silent brother.

"Yeah, Shoto-kun is something…too bad I missed the other fights though. Izuku-kun is fine by the way, I think he'll be back before the day is over." I added quickly, nearly forgetting to mention him with everybody's attention focused on me. It was strange to be in the spotlight like this, but it wasn't too bad. They were all either concerned or in awe, both of which I was grateful for.

"I'm glad you two are okay! I was really worried! You guys were completely out of it." Uraraka seemed close to tears, and I blinked before patting her shoulder awkwardly.

"Yeah, nothing too bad. Recovery Girl is amazing. Izuku-kun was doing a lot better when I woke up. He'll be better before you know it!" I reassured her gently and she beamed, still a little watery in the eyes though. Everybody eventually stopped crowded the door, and I carefully made my way to my seat. I stopped by Katsuki's seat, who stiffened considerably.

"Thanks, by the way, for not being a total jerk, bastard. Really helped." I muttered quietly, not bringing too much attention to our exchange. I knew he wouldn't appreciate it, and for some odd reason, I felt like he was slightly grateful for my consideration.

"Tch, don't mention it. Get your shit together, don't have time for that." He snarked back just as quietly, and I rolled my eyes as I finally arrived at my seat. I had considered talking to Shoto too, but that was a conversation best left for after school. He also seemed to be ignoring me, which was concerning by itself. I hoped our progress hadn't been destroyed by my freak out.

The rest of the day was uneventful, and it wasn't until the very end of the day that Izuku showed up and was promptly bombarded like I was. He seemed surprised, but happy regardless so I couldn't be bothered to help him.

"Hey Uraraka, wanna go out to eat? What sorta food do you like?" I couldn't help but snort at Uraraka's dazed expression, torn between focusing on Izuku and the boy giving her attention. I carefully made my way in between the two, leaning on the desk. Uraraka seemed to catch on, quickly diverting her attention from Kaminari to Izuku. He sighed a bit. He didn't get a chance to say anything, though, as Iida suddenly made an appearance. I jumped slightly.

"Stop sitting on the desk! Stop this instant!" He raised his arms and waved them slightly, nearly knocking me in the head as I ducked back a bit.

"Pipe down, you're giving me a headache." Tokoyami muttered, though Iida continued with his righteous rant unperturbed. I was content to let him go on, but with the earlier incident, I could feel a headache growing fast.

"Iida-kun, aren't you supposed to be quiet in the classroom?" I tilted my head innocently, though I couldn't contain the snort at his overdramatic, horrified expression.

"Y-you're right! I apologize, my actions have disturbed the class even further!" he practically wailed, and I winced again.

"N-no, you're fine…" I sweat dropped, holding my hands up in surrender. I caught Katsuki leaving out of the corner of my eye, taking note of when Izuku left to follow him. There was a strange buzz in the air as everybody took note of the duo, and before I could investigate further, I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"Homura-chan, we should get going." Shoto's voice was eerily calm, which should have been normal, but I felt tense anyways. I quietly nodded, following behind him as the two of us left next, ignoring the chattering of our classmates behind us. Shoto remained silent the whole time as we exited the school, finally breaching the silence as we walked towards the station.

"What happened? I haven't seen you lose control since…well, in a while." He stumbled a bit over his words, and I sighed. For the first time, it was I who wanted to avoid conversation and ignore the problem. I didn't want to talk to him about this, especially since I was trying to help him. I was merely a side character, a person who shouldn't have even been here in the first place. I couldn't tell him that though, and instead swallowed quietly.

"It was an accident. Just too much excitement I guess. Nothing to worry about." Shoto wouldn't let it go that easily though.

"Bakugou-san mentioned it happened before. I didn't know you two trained with each other." I resisted the scowl that threatened to form, livid at Katsuki's apparent inability to shut up. If he hadn't said anything, this could easily be glossed over, and I could go back to helping Shoto. Instead I shrugged, making sure to avoid eye contact.

"You never really cared what I did before, so it wasn't worth mentioning." Apparently, I spoke a little too sharply, Shoto tensing up slightly at my words. I hadn't meant it to come out so harshly, but I guess there was still a little lingering bitterness at would could have been. If I had figured it out in the first place, maybe Shoto wouldn't have that eye. Maybe the two of us would be closer, but it was too late for that.

"Homura-chan, I-"

"TODO-ROKI!"

I was nearly knocked off my feet by the sudden pressure behind us, my wrist caught by Shoto as he froze his feet to the ground to keep from toppling over himself. Both of our hair was suddenly in disarray, but I could hardly worry about that. All Might stood behind us, a hand placed on our shoulders with a huge grin. I stared at him, unable to find any words.

"A-All Might-sensei." Apparently Shoto could speak, but was clearly just as stunned as I was. The larger man laughed, jostling us a bit with his hands.

"Sorry about that, but I was trying not to miss you two! You see, I couldn't help but notice that you two don't seem to get along as one might expect from twins!" Wow, talk about blunt. I exchanged looks with Shoto, neither of us prepared for a sudden intervention. All Might apparently was oblivious, making strange and dramatic gestures as he continued.

"You both have talent befitting heroes, but you need each other to stand as one! I'm sure we can work through this to help you two reconnect as the siblings you were meant to be!" Did Recovery Girl know he would do this? If she did, a little warning would have been helpful. His presence was so overpowering, that I couldn't really form words.

"We don't need help from you, with all due respect All Might-san." Shoto finally found the ability to speak, trying to dismiss the larger man. All Might simply let out a bone-rattling laugh, and I finally stumbled forward, taking Shoto with me. We both grunted, adjusting ourselves so we were sitting facing All Might. He smiled down at us.

"Don't worry, I won't be helping you! Or well, I won't be your main help! You see, I found two individuals who I'm sure can help you reconnect as twins!" he laughed again before moving to the side. I squinted, catching sight of two figures running. It took a few moments for them to get close enough for me to see, but when they did, I let out a long sigh of relief.

"Oh, thank god, I thought it was going to be someone weird. Or, weirder." I laughed lightly as Kaito and Sora stumbled in to the conversation, both wheezing and gasping for air. Apparently, All Might had forgotten other people couldn't move like him.

"S-sorry, wow, I didn't know he was going to take off like that. Or else we might have been here with a little more air." Sora breathed, smiling all the while. Shoto remained still, watching warily. I had no such misconceptions about the duo, quickly getting to my feet and throwing myself at him. Sora caught my easily, patting my back with a smile.

"When they said someone would meet us, I wasn't expecting it to be All Might of all people! Glad to see you again, Homura-chan~" Sora hugged me tightly, his quirk activating and filling me up with warmth. It had been years since we met in person, since the duo had gone off to college. I had forgotten how good it felt to get a hug from him, though it felt hotter than before. I frowned slightly, pulling back. Sora seemed a bit disheartened at my sudden reaction, exchanging knowing looks with Kaito.

"Thank you All Might-san, it was a pleasure to meet you. I think we can handle them from here." Kaito bowed slightly at the hero, who gave us all a thumbs up before taking off in the distance. He then turned his attention to Shoto, who hadn't made a peep since they appeared.

"Shoto-kun, I'm glad you're well! I think its best if we take this conversation somewhere else. Preferably before we go home." He added as an afterthought, Shoto continuing his odd silence as he slowly got to his feet.

"Eh, aren't you two visiting home? Fuyumi nee-chan would want to see you two." I frowned as Sora carefully put his arms on my shoulder, turning me around and guiding us all towards a nearby café. We took a seat at a table that was a bit more isolated, and suddenly it felt incredibly awkward. Shoto seemed to have turned in to a statue.

"We'll go home in a bit, but we need to discuss something important. Concerning both of you." Kaito folded his hands in front of him, leaning forward slightly. It suddenly felt like a business meeting, and I was incredibly underdressed. I leaned back in the seat a bit, the joy at seeing them slowly diminishing. I felt uncertain and unsure. Shoto didn't so much as budge, staring intently back at our brothers.

"We wanted to intervene earlier, but we only recently got our licenses, so we had to wait a while before we could help. I mean, we kind of tried, but with our quirks I think it'll make things a bit easier." Sora explained, unusually serious. He nodded at a waitress as she suddenly appeared, taking our order. Shoto mumbled something, and with a bit of prodding, eventually raised his voice for her to hear. He then returned to his silent form, simply listening.

"Licenses? I thought you were becoming therapists, not heroes?" Sora snorted, snickering a bit while Kaito simply shook his head.

"Our Licenses allow us to use our quirks in our field of study, which is therapy. People have to go through a several different tests in order to use their quirks on others the way we do." I frowned, tilting my head slightly.

"But your quirks aren't dangerous. I don't see why you need to take tests." Well, I assumed they weren't dangerous. I knew there were drawbacks to their quirks and how they used them on people, but I wouldn't consider them capable of killing someone. Maybe my standards for dangerous were a little too high.

"If I hug somebody and they resist, I could burn their mind. In some severe cases, I could cause permanent damage to their emotional state. Same with Kaito, except he can permanently freeze their emotions. They don't want people getting unnecessarily hurt, so we have to be certified with several different boards. It's to make sure everyone involved is safe and protected."

"It sounds like you two have tested that before." Shoto finally spoke up, his tone dull.

Both brothers winced, clearly uncomfortable with the direction our conversation was taking. Shoto stared at them expectantly, however, and they knew they had to explain.

"We have to…test the extent of the damage we can do. Up to a degree anyways. The permanent stuff is all theory, but certain villains that are captured are used for…the tests. They're not killed, mind you, but it definitely helps figure out the dangers." I suddenly burst out laughing, startling everybody at the table. I couldn't help it – the mental image was just too funny.

"You're telling me, you two, hugged villains to death? Oh wow, I'm sorry but…" I giggled, the tension suddenly breaking as both brothers smiled, Sora winking.

"Well you know what they say Homura-chan, my looks alone could kill someone. A hug? Too powerful." He teased, and I had to stifle my giggles further before I derailed the entire conversation. We were talking about something serious dammit!

"So, this is entirely voluntary then?" Shoto inquired, twitching just a bit. I wanted to imagine he was amused as well, but he didn't let his composure slip.

"Kind of. We won't use our quirks on you guys without permission, but you're both expected to attend weekly sessions. The school won't let Homura-chan attend Yuuei if you two don't…" Kaito added, suddenly nervous in the face of my outrage. This was the first time I was hearing it, and by the way Shoto stiffened considerably, he hadn't heard about it either.

"What? Why won't they let me attend? Is it because of earlier? I told them that was an accident!" I snapped, slamming my hands on the table. Both brothers flinched a bit, and the sight alone cooled my down considerably. I was still a bit peeved though. Recovery Girl had neglected to tell me everything apparently!

"You're very talented Homura-chan, but with your particular quirk, you can easily endanger the entire school if you lose control. The kids at that school are expected to have control. Trust me when I say that's the worst-case scenario, but it's still on the table." Kaito spoke calmly, trying to avoid any conflict. It wasn't necessary though, as I wasn't about to break out in a full-blown riot here.

"I have control! They saw it in the entrance exam! It was just that one time…I just…I couldn't…" I trailed off in to muttering, dropping my hands to my side. I was stupid to think they could just let me continue with my reaction like that. If I wanted to be a hero, I had to overcome the trauma I didn't want to admit I had. Shoto had managed just fine with his trauma, that I knew he didn't want to admit to either, and had never lost control. I was the only one. I closed my eyes and sighed.

"Don't worry Homura-chan, we're here to help. We're here to help both of you actually. Don't look at me like that Shoto-kun, you're not in trouble with school but I can see you're bothered. We're therapists, remember?" Kaito quirked an eyebrow at Shoto, who had shut his mouth as soon as he opened it. He seemed to almost pout, leaning back in his chair and staring at the ceiling.

"Also, Oto-san won't know about any of this, so no need to worry about him. "Sora added, and I stared.

"How did the school NOT contact him? I thought they would have?" I asked, and Sora smirked.

"Fuyumi answered the house phone first. She made a call to us, we talked to the school, and ta-daa! We're your therapist starting this week! This isn't really the session by the way, just us letting you know what's going on" he added cheekily, and I had to suppress a groan.

"Well I feel emotionally violated either way…" I muttered, and Sora feigned hurt.

"Homura-chan, don't be like that! Didn't you miss your Nii-san?" Kaito snorted, his attention occupied as our drinks were brought out. I couldn't help but smile a little, taking a sip of my tea carefully. Shoto seemed a little more relaxed at this point, taking a sip of his own drink as the conversation moved on to something a little more enjoyable.

Still, I couldn't help but feel as if this was just the beginning of this odd intervention.

* * *

 **A/N: INCOMING FILLERS. After next chapter anyways. honestly, I'm a little confused on the timeline but hopefully I'm accurate with it haha! By the way, out of curiosity, did anybody read the manga?**

 **Spoilers below, so don't read this part if you only watch!**

 _ **Shoto didn't participate in the mass fight against Mirio because he didn't have his license, but they fought each other at the beginning without any issues. Does that seem weird to anybody, or is it just me?**_

 **Spoilers over. You're safe.**

 **Thank you guys for the reviews, kind words, and your thoughts! I'm happy to receive them! I love writing back to you guys, its so much fun! The next chapters might be delayed a bit because I kind of want to rewrite the first ones. Once I got a beta reader, all the chapters came out really nice! I'd like to give the same treatment to the past ones! I'll still be updating though, dont worry!**


	12. War

**A/N: Sorry for the delay. I'm kind of moving right now and trying to sell our house, so some days I can't get much time on the computer! I ended up writing these over a few days rather than all at once like I usually do, so the quality will probably be a lot better actually! Shorter author's note because fewer reviews, but thats okay~**

 **Guest - The ship names you come up with are super adorable!**

 **skidney - Thank you for your kind words every chapter! You're amazing!**

 **Trougue - Ooh, I like your ideal! Honestly you're 100% right. Talent can only take you so far - if you don't put effort alongside your talant, then you'r enot going to get very far. Hopefully I'm interpreting what you said right!**

* * *

"Oh my god, but you should have seen how he was carrying you! It was so sweet!" Ashido practically screamed in to the phone as she gushed about my incident, and I nearly dropped the phone.

I was sitting on a mat in the middle of the training hall, doing my usual morning stretches before breakfast. I held the phone to my ear with my shoulder, careful not to drop it as I leaned over to touch my toes. I wasn't particularly excited to be on the phone while I was doing my conditioning, but Ashido was nice and I'd feel bad ignoring her. Besides, she had called five times and I understood that she was not easily deterred.

"I mean, I expected him to lug me around like a dead body, but I don't know why you'd call that sweet. He's an asshole." I snorted, taking a deep breath as held my toes with my hands for a solid minute. My muscles burned at the effort, but it wouldn't hurt for too long. If anything, I would feel amazing afterwards. Ashido snorted on the other end of the line before sighing, and I silently rolled my eyes.

"He's a boy! They're all boys! Hormones are raging at this age and trust me, you should be thankful. Besides, you guys have known each other for a while! You trained at the same dojo…wait a minute…" Ahsido suddenly gasped on the other end, going silent. I pulled myself back up, frowning.

"Ashido-chan? Are you okay?" I was not prepared for the sudden scream.

"THAT MAKES HIM YOUR SENPAI, DOESN'T IT? BAKUGOU-SENPAI!" I jolted, and this time I really did drop the phone. It hit the floor with a crack, and I panicked, checking the screen for cracks while Ashido babbled incoherently on the other end. Across the room using the weights, Shoto stared at me. I ignored him, waiting for the excited squealing on the other end to die down.

"How are you so enthusiastic at five in the morning? No wait, why are you even awake?" I couldn't help but laugh a bit, Ashido giggling in response.

"Well, to be honest Homura-chan, I was really inspired by your moves the other day! And when I saw your toned body, I thought wow I need to do what she's doing! I'm outside on a jog right now~" I chuckled a bit, amused by her enthusiasm. Years ago, I had hated every moment I was awake before nine, but now I sometimes even woke up at three to train. By the time breakfast came around, I was always wide awake.

"Really? That's awesome actually! Maybe we can jog together sometime? I usually do a bunch of stretches, but I can probably fit in a bit of jogging before class!" I was excited, to be honest. Shoto was great company and all…okay well he was an okay presence in the room, but having another girl to train with in the mornings sounded fun.

"Eeeh? Maybe, I don't know if I can keep this up for too long! It's really exhausting! Oh, I've got to go! I think I might go back to sleep for a bit to be honest!" I sighed in exasperation at that.

"If you go back to bed, then all that work was for nothing! You do the training really early so you're awake by breakfast time!" I reprimanded her lightly, though all she did was giggle.

"You sound a lot like Iida-kun, Homura-chan! I gotta go now, see you in class!" I set the phone down gently as she hung up, taking a deep breath before returning to my exercises. As I moved on to a round of sit ups, I felt a presence approach and I glanced upwards at Shoto staring down at me.

"Here, I'll help you." He muttered, walking around to hold my feet down carefully. I blinked, surprised by his gesture but grateful nonetheless, taking a deep breath and pulling my front upwards with my arms held behind my head. I shook a bit, but it didn't really take too much effort.

"Are you going to be okay today?" Shoto's sudden question was odd, and I merely stared at him when I pulled myself up for another sit up.

"…Yes? If you're worried about yesterday, then you're worrying for nothing. Or is it really worry?" I gave him a suspicious look and he tensed up a bit, looking away.

"I think anybody would be considering what happened." He quirked a brow at my caution and I smiled sheepishly, letting the wariness die down quickly. I needed to work on that. If I kept suspecting every oddly kind gesture Shoto gave me, he would just pull back away. Even if it was weird, I had to encourage it.

"Well, yeah you got me there. Sorry, it's not exactly… a fun thing to think about. Especially with my place in the academy on the line." I sighed, closing my eyes for a moment before continuing with a small smile.

"Besides, we're not doing anything big today. Last I checked, it was an in-classroom activity. Completely boring. No way anything bad can happen…" my thoughts trailed off, and suddenly my heart clenched at the thought of today. If I remembered correctly, the incident with the press happened the day after the trial of battle. That was today.

"Homura-chan?" Shoto stared down at me, and it took me a moment to gather my thoughts. I shook my head, pulling myself up in to a seated position. Shoto backed up a bit, sitting down as well while I rubbed my head.

"I'm fine…just remembered I have some homework I didn't finish! Gotta keep my grades up too, right?" I laughed weakly, rising to my feet and dashing out of the room before Shoto could question me further. I couldn't give him any straight answers, and for some reason I felt that lying would dissuade him either. He had been watching me like a hawk since yesterday and I knew I would have to keep my guard up for now. Shoto meant everything to me, but this was something I had to do on my own.

Of course, there was no better place to clear my thoughts and formulate a plan like the shower. Between the soothing warm water running down my back and the complete silence, it was a lot easier to plan than it had been in the training hall.

I wasn't sure if I could prevent anything to be perfectly honest. From what I gathered, the moment the alarms went off in the building, that was supposedly my queue to try and intercept whoever was really infiltrating the academy. Even then, the odds that it was Kurogiri warping them in and out of the building were immense. I could assume that the teacher's lounge was where the schedule would be, but could I really stop them from taking it? Depending on if it was just Kurogiri or not, I could easily be killed. Our quirk was powerful, but these were true villains. Despite how this world was, nobody ever really conditioned you to be able to kill. As drastic as that sounded, if I didn't move with an intent to kill, I would be the one lying on the ground. There was too much for me to do to let that happen.

Even after spending a solid half hour in the shower, much to Fuyumi's disgruntlement, I had nothing to show strategy wise. For the most part, my plan involved running in, trying to stop them for getting the schedule, and then alerting the teachers. I think I deserved credit for at least trying.

"Sorry, Nee-san." I mumbled as I ducked out the bathroom, hoping to avoid conversation. I made a beeline for the kitchen, nearly smacking right in to Shoto's back when I turned the corner. I stumbled back a bit, frowning.

"Shoto-kun, what—" I paused, looking around Shoto's tense form at the sight of our father waiting for us in the kitchen. He was decked out in his hero costume, though his flames were out now. I wanted to say he was looking at Shoto, but I knew that wasn't it. He was staring at me, and I knew why. Shoto seemed to understand the situation perfectly clear, his arm twitching when I walked out from behind him.

"What do you want? Shouldn't you be at your agency?" Shoto's tone was aloof, his clenched fists and trembling form the only signs of emotion. It was surprising, since I assumed he at least kept himself devoid of all feeling when it came to our father. That's what I had gotten from my memories anyways. Something had changed in this world, apparently, to cause him to outwardly display emotion. It was me.

"Otou-san…did you need something?" I asked warily, Endeavor's eyes watching me silently as I walked forward. If I could take a guess, I'd imagine him being here had something to do with yesterday. Sora and Kaito had promised not to mention anything though, so I couldn't fathom how he would know.

"If you thought that Yuuei wouldn't inform me of your incident, then you need to use your brains for once." Harsh, but true. It was kind of dumb to think that a high-ranking institution like Yuuei wouldn't inform a parent of their student's accidents, even if it was someone like Endeavor. I winced at the tone regardless, bowing my head slightly.

"In my defense…I assumed it was dealt with. They send our Nii-san after all…" I laughed weakly, trying to avoid eye contact as I struggled to control the conversation.

"The school already handled the issue. We don't need your help." Shoto spoke curtly, and Endeavor merely rolled his eyes. He took a step forward, and I immediately recoiled backwards. Shoto remained firm, unwavering in the glares of our father.

"You don't. In fact, once you get over this childish rebellion, you'll be fine. I will not, however, tolerate your sister smearing the Todoroki name like that. She will learn control. Even if I have to beat it in to her myself." His attention snapped to me quickly, and I couldn't help but swallow hard.

"Starting tonight, I will be taking over all of your evening and morning training. If you try to skip out, I will go and find you myself. Do I make myself clear?" he growled the last bit, and I couldn't nod my head fast enough. Shoto stepped forward a bit, fists clenched, opening his mouth to argue before I quickly took a hold of his arm and yanked back carefully.

"Don't. I'll be fine. Just worry about yourself." I muttered, ignoring Shoto's incredulous look. Endeavor seemed to sneer a bit, though he left the kitchen without another word. Shoto rounded on me, eyes narrowed.

"Why the fuck would you agree to that?" Okay, apparently Katsuki was rubbing off on my twin somehow and I wasn't sure how. I took a deep breath, calming my rampaging nerves before answering.

"Well, I mean yeah its gonna suck. But Otou-san is…the number two hero. And he's a beast with his fire. Who else is better to learn from? Tell me Shoto." I quirked an eyebrow at him, and Shoto visibly scowled.

"You don't have to do what he says! If you'd just let me handle it! That man—" I cut him off quickly.

"—is an asshole. I know! But I don't want you to keep taking hits for me every time you think I'm going to get hurt. I got in to Yuuei as well. I'm not as good as you are, but I can handle myself." I kept my tone level and firm, putting my hands on his shoulders as I tried to get him to understand. I wasn't going to let this end in another fight that cut us off from each other for years. We couldn't afford that. I couldn't afford that.

"No, Homura-chan. You're not as good as me, you're better!" I paused, staring at him.

"Shoto-kun?" He sighed, averting his gaze awkwardly. He carefully removed my hands from his shoulders, pulling back slightly.

"I can't stop wanting to protect you, Homura-chan. You shouldn't expect that. Don't ask that of me. But, you have to stop looking down on yourself." I tilted my head slightly, completely lost. This was very unusual for Shoto, and he seemed to know it. He seemed…embarrassed to bring it up. If it weren't for what had just happened, I might have laughed.

"Okay, I know we just argued, but are you feeling well? Did you eat something weird?" I reached out for his forehead, only to have my hand swatted away.

"No, I'm fine. Don't be stupid. You just do this thing where you look at me and everybody else like we're in a different world from you. Like we're something amazing and you're not. I don't think it's fair for you to criticize me for how I act when you do that, Homura-chan." My throat tightened a bit as I struggled with words, unsure of how to respond. I knew I wasn't broadcasting my emotions like that – we were just twins. Between all my worrying about the future events that I wanted to prevent, I had forgotten that this was my life now. It wasn't fair to look at them like main characters, not when Shoto Todoroki was literally my twin brother. He could read me like a book, and somehow that information had slipped away.

"I…okay then, how about a truce?" I held out a hand, Shoto staring at it curiously.

"A truce?" I smiled slightly at his apprehension, though I kept my composure professional.

"Yeah, a truce. An agreement. You stop babying me and trying to protect me all the time, and I'll…be more confident in myself I guess?" I didn't really know how to explain it, but he seemed to get the hint regardless, He took my hand firmly, and we shook on it.

"Oh, I'm so sorry Homura-chan. I tried to warn you, but you dashed away so fast…" Fuyumi walked in a few minutes later, Shoto and I pulling our hands apart as she walked by. She seemed a little frazzled for just coming out of the shower, but was slowly putting herself together. She was fully dressed of course, but her hair needed some quick attention and fast.

"Eh, its fine. I think I'd be nervous either way. It wasn't too bad." I grinned, ignoring Shoto's incoherent mumbling as he made a beeline for the cereal. I, of course, had more sophisticated tastes and set to work on my usual toast with jam.

"I want to believe you, but knowing him…what'd he want?" Fuyumi snorted, sorting out her own breakfast. It was strangely homey, everybody bustling about as they got ready for the day. It was almost like we were a normal family, if not for the fact that our mother was in a psych ward and our father only remembered two of his children on a good day. I shook my head, clearing out those nasty thoughts before they had a chance to take root.

"He's training her of course." Shoto answered for me, staring intently at his bowl of cereal. I guess our discussion didn't do much for his disapproval of the situation, but at least the victim of his glares was his bowl of cereal. Not that I'd be affected by it too much, but it at least showed our situation slowly getting better.

"I thought you said it wasn't too bad? How often?" Fuyumi stared at me, cocking an eyebrow and I could only shrug sheepishly.

"Every morning and evening. To be fair, I do need the help. Maybe just not that desperately…" I chuckled weakly, and Fuyumi sighed in exasperation.

"I'm just glad Sora-kun and Kaito-kun are back in town. You used to have so much fun with them. I'm sure they'll be great for you guys." I smiled softly at that as I sat down at the table, quietly munching on my toast. I expected to have a lot of fun with them, but considering father's plans, I wasn't sure if we were going to have a lot of time. Shoto, at least, would hopefully see them more than I would.

"Shoto-kun, you should see them a lot. Even if I can't, I think you'll like them." It was an odd thing, but Shoto really didn't know the boys like Fuyumi and I did. He had been taken and isolated at the age of four while I at least saw them for a few more years. In fact, I made a conscious effort even during the brutal training to see them, while Shoto simply locked himself away. They were strangers to him, and I knew that they would like to connect with him at least a little. All that was needed was for him to want that as well.

"I'm only going because I have to, if we want to keep you in Yuuei. I'm not going to waste my time with them." He spoke curtly, leaving no room for argument and I felt my hopes deflate just a little. I guess I had already pushed for a lot today, so I would have to try again later.

"Well…I hope you'll reconsider then. Anyways, I better get going. I have places to be this morning." Shoto frowned slightly.

"It's only seven in the morning. Yuuei isn't that far away." I nodded, smiling.

"I know. But I have people to visit before I head to school, so I'll meet you later. You can come if you want?" I eyed him hopefully, though I didn't expect much. I was only mildly disappointed when he declined my request, and resigned myself to a lonely walk as I gathered my things and headed out for the day.

* * *

"Why the hell are you down here?"

I hadn't considered that Katsuki might still visit the dojo after being accepted in to Yuuei, since we did a lot of hand-to-hand combat training in class. My visits had drastically dropped, amounting to maybe once or twice a week while I supplemented them with in-class training and home work. I could see the long-term benefits of keeping up with my dojo sessions, but I hadn't really had the time. Apparently, Katsuki still considered it worthwhile.

We both stood on the sidewalk right outside the dojo, after I already left once my business was concluded. I probably wouldn't have noticed him if he hadn't announced his presence so angrily. Still, I had hoped for a quieter morning than earlier. I guess this is what I got for entering Yuuei.

"I was visiting Endurant-sensei, no need to get so worked up. Why does it matter?" I muttered, the angry boy's eyes twitching slightly. He was more agitated than anything else really, but if it was because of my presence or yesterdays fiasco I couldn't say.

"Tch, it doesn't matter. What matters is you're in my way! You and your twin." He snarled, and I couldn't help but snort. He seemed to bristle at that, stalking right up to me with his fists balled. I held my ground, staring right back. Compared to my father, he really was nothing.

"If you're getting upset over our powerful quirk, newsflash! You already knew my level of skill, what made you think Shoto-kun would be worse huh? Why are you so upset? It was training!" I gave him an incredulous look, which was returned with a scowl. He jabbed a finger in my direction, and I had to take a step back to ensure nothing weird happened.

"You. You and that Deku. He was supposed to be nothing more than a pebble. And you? You're good, I'll give you that. But I won't lose to you or him ever again. I'll crush you all under my boots. I'm going to be the number one fucking hero!" I couldn't help but roll my eyes and sigh, glancing up at the sky. This was just way too much male ego and pride for one girl to deal with on a single day. Hell, I don't think anybody should have to deal with all of this for an entire lifetime.

"Okay, once again, its training. You lost because you got too caught up in your stupid pride." he clenched his jaw at my words, but I continued on.

"So, if you want to crush me and everybody else, then you're gonna have to work on your attitude, Katsuki-senpai!" I sneered before choking on my own breath, eyes wide at my slip up. I had gotten so worked up giving him a piece of my mind that Ashido's words from earlier juts slipped out, and I could feel the awkwardness increasing tenfold. Katsuki seemed to be choking on something of his own, giving me a bizarre look as he processed both my words and the honorific. Then, he scowled.

"I don't have to work on shit to beat you. And don't call me that ever again!" Yeah, I wasn't planning on it. In the long run it didn't really matter, because technically it was an appropriate term in our relationship. I just didn't want to give him any form of superiority, and for some odd reason, he didn't seem to want it either. Katsuki wanted to be on equal terms, and that was something I could respect. It didn't change the fact that he was a raging asshole though.

"Yeah, okay whatever. I gotta get to the station, don't want to be late for class, right?" I mumbled, taking a few steps forward before Katsuki suddenly appeared on my left. He seemed just as agitated a before, but it seemed to have dulled down to a passive state.

"Don't walk in front of me like that. In fact, you should stay behind me where you belong!" he muttered, and I simply ignored him.

It was an odd scene, the two of us walking side by side to the station. Well, it started off as us walking side by side. Katsuki would rush to pull ahead of me, and I simply couldn't leave that unanswered. After only a few minutes of our bizarre and silent exchange, the two of us were racing to the station. It was a lot more crowded now that everybody had woken up, and I could only hear Katsuki's distant incoherent ranting as we both weaved in and out of the crowd, trying to stay ahead of the other.

It was exhilarating, and oddly fun, compared to my usual training sessions. It was a bit of a stretch to call this training, but it was a workout trying to keep up with Katsuki. In terms of physical conditioning, I'd honestly say we were both close. It was our intellect and instinct that separated us from each other, letting one of us pull ahead while the other fell back. In terms of this run, however, we matched each other equally.

I couldn't tell you who won either, because we both made it to the door at the same time, bodies trembling for our exertion.

"I-I, f-fucking won!" Katsuki snarled lowly, and I couldn't help but glare.

"W-we b-both made it at the s-same time, a-asshole." I panted, carefully maneuvering my way to an empty seat before the train moved. Katsuki seemed to consider standing for a moment, but eventually plopped down in the seat next to me somewhat reluctantly. We were both tired from our race, and he wasn't dumb enough to refuse a chance to recuperate his energy.

"Wouldn't be so tired if you just walked like a normal person. Who cares who's in front?" I grumbled, and Katsuki rolled his eyes. He leaned back against the seat as the train moved, averting his gaze.

"I do. I'm not gonna have your back towards me like that. I'm supposed to be the one ahead here!" he growled, and I sighed.

"It's JUST walking Katsuki-kun."

"Shut up."

That was the end of our conversation for the most part, each of us trying to forget the other was there. It worked for the most part, and it wasn't until we reached the station that we were forced to acknowledge each other's existence once again. The train was always extremely crowded in the morning, and I found myself slightly jostled around as I tried to exit with Katsuki. Using quirks was of course strictly forbidden, so there wasn't much I could really do when I was suddenly shoved backwards by the crowd. I squawked just a bit, stumbling back before a hand snatched mine and yanked me forward. A handful of people got promptly shoved out of the way and to the ground as I was pulled, and I nearly stumbled again once I was free from the crowd.

"Want to be a fucking hero and can't even get out of a crowd by yourself…" Katsuki sneered, and I huffed.

"Well, I try to be actually nice to people around me. You know, like a human being?" I grumbled, apologizing profusely to the people who had been knocked aside via my rescue. Katsuki simply fumed silently, stomping out of the station while I trailed behind him.

"How are you going to be a hero when nobody likes you? You're way too angry, Katsuki-kun." I pointed out and he rolled his eyes.

"I'm going to kill every villain I see of fucking course. You go stupid in that train or something?" he grumbled, apparently worn out from his earlier yelling. He looked more like he did when I first met him, an arrogant child pouting when things didn't go his way. If I remember correctly, I beat him down that day too. I couldn't help but grin at the memory.

"Yeah, but if I remember correctly, you're still that little kid I beat up in the playground when I was…ten I think? Think you need to work on your intimidating expression first, because that's who I see right now." I snickered, fanning the flames of anger as they rekindled within him. I didn't know why, but it was kind of fun teasing him. Yeah, he was a douchebag and in need of some serious help, but he was honest. He didn't try to pretend to like anybody and let everybody know how he felt, and that included when he was being teased. He were almost always guaranteed a reaction, and that was the funniest thing to me.

"Oh yeah? Maybe you need to fucking grow, because you're still just as small as you were back then." I paused, nearly halting in the middle of the sidewalk. I was pretty sure I was close to, if only slightly smaller, than Shoto was. I stared at him…and realized we were pretty much the same height. Actually, I was taller, and I couldn't stop the explosion of laughter that burst out.

"Oh my god, I thought you were observant. I'm taller than you, idiot!" I chortled, any indignation at his insults completely gone as I was overcome. His eyes seem to widen and the narrow, his face flushing slightly as his anger peaked.

"When the fuck did you get tall, bitch? You were tiny last time I checked!" I was practically wheezing at this point, wiping the tears from my eyes. It was amazing that we somehow still walked down the sidewalk, both overcome with varying emotions.

"Because all we've been doing is really fighting. Oh man, I didn't even notice either until now. I'm never going to forget this." I smiled gleefully, and his scowl intensified into downright outrage.

"YOU BETTER FORGET THIS BEFORE I KNOCK IT OUT OF YOU MYSELF!" I ducked backwards as he made a grab from me, dashing forward towards the Yuuei gate before he could get me. I heard his shouts of outrage from behind me as he followed, and I nearly knocked a few students over as I made my escape. In fact, I collided with a familiar red head and we both toppled down, nearly taking Ashido with us as she shrieked.

"Homura-chan, what the hell?" Kirishima gaped as I hit the ground beside him, still trembling form my laughter. I had calmed down considerably, though, and just giggled quietly as I pushed myself off the ground. Ashido giggled herself at the sight of us, though her eyes instantly snapped towards Katsuki as he approached the group angrily.

"I'm gonna fucking kill you, right now!" he jabbed a finger at me, and I snorted. Kirishima instantly jumped to his feet, putting his hands between the two of us like some sort of mediator.

"Whoa, whoa whoa! What'd you do to Bakugou-kun to get him riled up before class? We barely started the day!" he looked amused regardless, much to Katsuki's chagrin. Ashido's eyes darted between the two of us, realization dawning on her face and I had to quickly answer before she came to any conclusions.

"Wait a minute, I didn't do anything I swear! You know how he is, breath the wrong way at him and he's angry." I reminded everybody quickly, locking eyes with Ashido subtly. She caught my attention, smirking slightly, and I narrowed my eyes in warning. She seemed to get the hint, though from her sly smile I knew she was going to continue this later. Before anybody could say anything, however, we heard multiple engines pulling up to the school. I only had a moment to remember what was going on before we were mobbed, everybody squinting at the sudden flashes.

"Oh shit, the press!" Kirishima squawked, shielding his eyes and backing up from the sudden attention. I caught sight of Izuku, Iida, and Uraraka being harassed ahead of us as well, but it was Katsuki who reacted the oddest. He kept his mouth glued shut as they brought up the slime incident, snarling quietly at them as he pulled his bag closer to himself.

"What do you think of All M—Wait! Aren't you the kid from the sludge guy incident!?" It was unnecessarily cruel to bring it up, and from the way Katsuki seemed to withdraw in on himself, I could tell it was a sore spot. I pushed my way in front of him, ignoring his quiet bristling as I tried to shoo the reporters away. Of course, the moment they caught sight of me, I was suddenly swarmed myself.

"Aren't you Endeavor-san's daughter?! What is it like being taught by All Might, Endeavor-san's rival?!"

"There's rumors of Endeavor being offered a position but declining? Any insight as to why?"

I didn't really know what I intended to do when I tried to let Katsuki escape, but I regretted my decision almost immediately. This was different from having my classmate's attention on me, these were people I didn't know showing this to even more strangers. Combine that with the likelihood that my father was watching? Well, needless to save I couldn't feel my stomach anymore.

"U-um, i-it's great? All Might's an amazing teacher…I couldn't be more honored than to learn from him!" I managed to stutter out surprisingly, and I could feel my father's outrage almost immediately. Tonight's session was not going to be a fun one that's for sure.

"Come on, don't be dumb and stand there like an idiot!" Katsuki finally snarled, yanking me back with everybody else as we all made a dash for the gate. Aizawa stood there quietly as we all hustled behind him, tense as the reporters suddenly locked on to him.

"Give us some insight on All Might…cut the feed! Why don't you get a little more presentable dude?!" I couldn't believe the nerve of them, my eyes widening at their audacity as we headed for the entrance. I couldn't quite make out what Aizawa was saying after that, but as soon as he began walking away, I nearly jumped out of my skin at the sound of the gate locking.

"Hey, you're going to knock me down jumping like that, cut that shit out!" Katsuki snarled, apparently still holding on to my wrist. Kirishima and Ashido panted beside us, frazzled from our paparazzi encounter. I pulled back my wrist quickly, rubbing it to soothe the mild pain form how hard he gripped.

"Alright, move along. Get to homeroom quickly, we have a few things to discuss this morning." Aizawa ushered us in, making as little effort as possible. Our little group quickly entered the building, changing our shoes before making a beeline for the classroom.

"Wow that was intense! I don't think I saw them on our first day?" Kirishima hummed as we walked, Katsuki keeping a distance ahead of us. I didn't bother chasing after him, sticking with the friendlier people for now.

"I think I did, but this might be the first time they go so close. I think they were further down the street at least. That wall really scared me though!" I remarked, and Ashido giggled.

"Oh yeah, Yuuei apparently has super powerful defenses. Reporters aren't gonna get anywhere near the main building!" Oh, if only you knew Ashido. I wasn't sure where they would be once the alarms hit, but hopefully they wouldn't be squashed in that insane mob. You would think a school of future heroes would have a little more sense when evacuating, but teenagers were teenagers apparently.

"That's good. I don't think I could focus on school if I had to deal with them trying to walk around." I sighed, hanging my head slightly. That was the curse of being the daughter of Endeavor I supposed.

"Oh, yeah they'd want to talk to you since you're Endeavor's daughter! You think they mobbed Todoroki-kun too? Poor man, I pity both of you!" Kirishima shook his head, closing his eyes dramatically. I couldn't help but giggle, smiling as we finally entered the classroom. Apparently, we were the last to arrive.

"Oh, you guys, I'm glad you got out of that mess! That was insane!" Uraraka bounced over to us, her eyes wide. Izuku trailed behind her, apparently torn between talking and being overwhelmed by a girl talking to him. Boys.

"Yeah, saw you guys got mobbed too. And Iida-kun! Man, I couldn't hear what you were saying, but you can talk dude!" Kirishima called out, Iida puffing out his chest slightly as he waved his arms around.

"Of course! I made sure to give them the appropriate answers to fully describe our educational system! When you become a pro hero, the ability to communicate with reporters and civilians alike is important!" Everybody snickered good-naturedly at his small speech, Iida completely unperturbed.

"Oh, that's right Homura-chan, they practically ate you up! Are you okay?" Izuku finally spoke, tilting his head slightly. I exhaled, fiddling with my hair as I used someone's desk as a chair. I ignored Iida's gasp of outrage, smiling slightly.

"Oh yeah I'm fine. Honestly, I didn't expect to be swarmed. I kinda forgot about Otou-san and all…lesson learned, eh?" I noticed the way Katsuki watched me, brow furrowing as he seemed to want to say something. Instead, he just scowled, staring forward at the board. He was likely mad at my intervention earlier, but I couldn't not help him. Traumatic experiences weren't something for people to just poke at without consideration.

"They should have been looking at me! To see what a true dazzling sight is!" Aoyama suddenly interjected, and I could imagine the figurative sparkles around him. There was a chorus of giggles at his sudden dramatic pose, though we soon scattered as Aizawa eventually wandered in to the room. He exhaled quietly as though he'd rather be anywhere but here, and everybody scattered to their seats.

"Hope you're all rested from yesterday's battle trial. I took the liberty of looking at your marks and evaluations." He dropped a stack of papers on the desk as he spoke, everybody tensing up just a bit. I hadn't gotten to see everybody's in person, but I could vaguely remember what had gone down. I was kind of curious how Shoto handled it, but it was likely he did the same thing as predicted. There was a light chatter amongst the students before Aizawa lazily clapped his hands, silencing us before we could become to rowdy.

"Bakugou-san, stop acting like a seven-year-old. You're wasting your talent." Said boy stiffened a bit, but merely nodded.

"…I know." He finally bit out, which was surprising. I would have assumed he would just remain silent, but apparently not. I could feel myself growing nervous as Aizawa seemed to address every student individually, pointing out their flaws or acknowledging their triumphs. Then, his eyes finally rested on me. It felt like the whole class was staring at me, remembering exactly what had happened.

"Homura-san, your control needs work. Try to be aware of your surroundings." It was a lot less harsh than what I had expected, but maybe I was accustomed to father's criticisms. He held nothing back when he noticed flaws, and made sure to beat it in to you.

"A-ah, yes sensei." I ducked my head, still a bit dazed from careful criticisms. Maybe he knew bringing it up again might cause me to go in to a panic? I didn't think it would, but it was very considerate of him. The hushed muttering amongst the other students made me assume everybody else was just as surprised.

"Now, lets get on with homeroom notices. I'm sorry to have to spring this on all you, but…" There was a large, collaborative shuffling of chairs as everybody stiffened. Apparently, the horrors of pop quizzes were well remembered even after entering this eccentric school.

"We need to pick a class president." The chaos that followed was incredible. Shoto and I remained in our seats quietly, exchanging quiet glances. Neither of us raised our hands. Shoto was likely still trying to be anti-social, but I couldn't see myself as class president at all. I already knew who fully deserved it, watching as he sat trembling in his chair.

"People yelling like this don't deserve to be class president in my opinion. How are you going to round up a rowdy class if you're prone to being rowdy yourself?" I finally said, glancing around at everybody's sheepish expressions.

"Homura-chan, the class president has to be the manliest one of us all!" Kirishima griped, clenching his fists dramatically once again.

"Isn't that a little sexist, Kirishima-kun?" Jiro muttered, giving him a thoroughly unimpressed look. Kirishima had the decency to look abashed.

"I-I didn't mean like that! A woman can be just as manly as any man! It's all based on your spirit and will!" he recovered smoothly, unlike Mineta who suddenly blurted out his thoughts.

"My manifesto as president! All girls must present 30 centimeters of thigh!" he rubbed his hands together in anticipation, only for Tsuyu's tongue to smack him down almost immediately.

"That's like a leader position! I'll do it! Me! Me!"

"Oh, you mean the position that exists for me?"

"Let me do it!"

Along with a few meekly raised hands, the class was getting out of hand fast. Aizawa simply watched, letting the chaos slowly build up until finally Iida stood up and slammed his hands on the desk. Everybody stopped, slowly glancing back at the intensely serious student.

"This is a task laden with responsibility where you must pull and carry everyone's weight! Just because you'd like to doesn't mean you can!" his aura of disapproval was heavy, and even though I agreed with him, I still found myself shrinking back in to my seat. He continued with his speech, everybody's attention on him as he made various gestures.

"It is a holy office that requires the great esteem and trust of those around you! The only truly worthy will emerge from a democratic choice reflecting the will of the people!" It was over the top, completely unnecessary, and very much like Iida. He raised a hand slowly, slamming it down hard on his desk. A few people flinched. He raised his other hand, body trembling.

"Which is why this must be settled by a vote!" The dam broke almost immediately, everybody's voices crowding the air all at once again. At the very least, thanks to Iida, it was a bit more subdued and organized.

"It's still too early to have developed trust in each other" Tsuyu pointed out logically, leaning back in her chair slightly.

"And, everybody will just vote for themselves." Kirishima added, and I snorted.

"That means you'll vote for yourself, yeah?" I inquired, and Kirishima flushed slightly. Iida just shook his head, doing even more of his weird hand gestures.

"And that's precisely why the person who does manage to earn multiple votes will be truly appropriate for the job, no?!" Everybody paused, exchanging glances.

"Well, he's got a point. I think it's a good and fair idea. I trust everybody knows who should rightfully get the position." Yaoyorozu finally agreed, nodding with a small smile. Mineta seemed to deflate a little, letting his head fall in to his hands.

"But then nobody will vote for me! I have great ideas! I have pictures!" the combined glare of every female, along with Kirishima, was enough to put a stop to that endeavor.

"Is that all right sensei?!" Iida practically screamed, Aizawa simply nodding in response before flopping down on to the ground in his weird sleeping bag. I stood up carefully, stretching my arms before glancing around at the room.

"Are we going to get a box for the votes? Or should we just fold up pieces of paper?" I hummed, rubbing my chin thoughtfully.

"A box seems unnecessary. I believe papers should suffice." Tokoyami voiced his opinion, a few others nodding in agreement. There was a collective shuffling as everybody wrote names on pieces of paper, passing them up the aisles as to not cause any confusion.

Aizawa resurfaced at this point, collecting the papers with a sigh. He shuffled them around on the desk, separating them in to piles before finally writing the names on the blackboard. I stared in shock.

"Who voted for me?" I squawked, taken by surprise by my apparent new position as vice president with a solid two votes. I glanced around, eyes searching for the culprits, but nobody seemed to be willing to fess up. They were more disgruntled by the final votes than the actual winners.

"You gotta be shittin' me…! Who voted for Deku?!" Katsuki screeched, eyes narrowed as his whole body trembled. Sero stood behind him, cracking a joke before ducking back. Katsuki had almost gotten a hold of him, visibly fuming as he accused everybody with his glares. His eyes met mine, and soon he was stomping over to where I was. I held my hands up immediately, holding my breath.

"You…! You voted for him, didn't you?!" he jabbed another finger at me, thankfully with an acceptable distance this time around. I pushed it away carefully, taking another deep breath.

"Nope, so go point your finger somewhere else. I voted for Iida-kun actually. If he advocated for it like that, then he really should get it." I added quickly, vaguely aware of Iida's incoming presence. I turned around slightly, overwhelmed but his sudden display of emotion.

"T-thank you Homura-chan! Your faith in me honors me! I hope you and Midoriya-kun adjust well to your sacred roles!" He was practically crying, and I couldn't help but feel incredibly guilty. I didn't get the role he wanted exactly, but I was still apart of the class's leadership now. It was bizarre and a little uncomfortable, but I would just have to adjust.

"You voted for somebody else…" Yaoyorozu gave Iida a pitying look, flanked by Sato who tilted his head in confusion.

"Even though you wanted the job so badly…what are you doing Iida-kun…?" I frowned at the criticism, my eyes flickering away from Iida.

"He's being an honest person. He could have voted for himself, but he didn't think that would feel right. If anything, I think its an admirable thing to do. You should to." They had the decency to look mildly ashamed, and soon a few others even apologized to Iida. We exchanged looks, and he smiled slightly.

"Once again, your words honor me Homura-chan! I think you will make a fantastic Vice president! If I had known how noble you were, I might have voted for you!" I frowned, crossing my arms over my chest.

"You didn't vote for me? Man, I wish this wasn't a blind vote. I'm kind of curious. I didn't think I'd get any votes really" I laughed, turning my head away the moment Aizawa finally popped back up again. If you thought I was shocked, Izuku looked downright petrified as he stood next to me at the front of the room.

"F-f-f-f-or real!" he stammered out and I sighed, lightly patting him on the back.

"Don't be so nervous Izuku-kun. I'm sure you'll do great!" When you make the decision to turn over your position to Iida anyways. I had half considered giving Iida my position, but I'd rather see him as the full president than vice. I wouldn't know what to expect with him given my new role, but hopefully it wouldn't get too weird. Actually, knowing him, it would be one hell of a roller-coaster. I could live with that.

From there, class continued as normal. Present Mic continued to call on me for just about everything. Izuku started muttering about answers occasionally, which would in turn freak out those of us around him. Katsuki would then start spouting threats angrily. The entre room would turn in to chaos for a few minutes until the sensei present managed to calm everybody down, occasionally with minor uses of their quirks. It was an endless cycle, repeating over and over until finally lunch had arrived.

"Are you eating with us today, Homura-chan?" Uraraka practically begged, her eyes big and wide. She was an adorable girl, but I had different plans for my lunch period and it did not involve being trapped against a window. No, I had to see what I could do to prevent the USJ incident if I could.

"Eh, maybe? I'll catch up later though, I needed to talk to Sensei first." I nodded my head apologetically, watching as the other students slowly began to file out of the room. I intended to wait until everybody was gone before making my own detour, and hopefully something good would come out of this.

"You're lying." Shoto stated, and I sighed. He hesitated by the door while everybody else filed out, and I walked over to stand next to him.

"Don't worry about it. I'll be at lunch soon, I just need to do something. Trust me." He gave me a flat stare, skeptical but eventually relenting to my wishes. He headed towards the lunchroom alone, something I hoped would change soon. I didn't have time to worry about my brother's social life though. Once the hallways were mostly empty besides a few stragglers, I began heading towards the teacher's lounge. Of course, I would need to wait for the alarms and the teachers to vacate the room, but hopefully I could at least catch a glimpse of what was going on. The best-case scenario was that I caught whoever swiped the schedule before they left. The worst-case scenario? Well, I died.

The hallway where the lounge was located was mostly empty, with the occasional student running by. I didn't really have a plan to hide per say, but hopefully the alarms would go off soon. I wanted this to be done and over with as soon as possible, but of course my luck was rotten. I leaned against the wall, popping out my phone to try and act casual, when I heard a familiar voice. I tried not to scowl.

"What are you fucking doing over here?" I winced, and prayed to whoever was listening to give me strength to deal with him. Katsuki stomped down the hallway, his hands in his pockets as he approached me. He didn't seem particularly mad, but he wasn't too happy.

"I could ask the same of you. Aren't you supposed to be at the lunchroom?" I countered, and he snorted.

"Well I was going to lunch, and then I heard you and your fucking brother talking. Figured I'd find out what kind of shit Endeavor's daughter is up to. Can't be anything legal or good, huh?" he sneered, glancing around the mostly abandoned hallway. His eyes darted from each door until they stopped at the teacher's lounge and he grinned.

"You said you needed to see Aizawa-sensei, and you're still out here. Why?" His smug smirk irritated the hell out of me, but I couldn't give him any satisfaction. I rolled my eyes and avoided eye contact, unsure of how to deal with this situation. I didn't want to involve him if I could avoid it, but with time running out there wasn't much I could do about him. I was going to be terribly upset if my stake out was ruined by his nosiness.

"It's not really any of your business. I don't want to talk to Aizawa-sensei in front of all the others is all. It's a private matter." I mumbled, staring up at the ceiling as I continued to pray for patience. That was when it started.

Katsuki and I both jolted when the sirens suddenly went off, momentarily caught off guard by the loud noise. I was barely aware of the Sensei's in the lounge suddenly dashing out, ignoring Katsuki and I in favor of finding out what the threat was.

"Security level three has been breached. Students, please promptly evacuate"

"What the fuck is security level three?" Katsuki barked, grabbing the front of my shirt roughly. My eyes widened before narrowing, and I brought my foot down hard on his. He snarled, letting go just as fast.

"One. Don't do that. Two. It means somebody's breached the walls. Three. I don't like that sound coming from down the hall, so we better move fast." It was the sound of students screaming, and it was approaching quickly. I was not about to have my body crushed by others, so I dashed across the hall towards the lounge. Katsuki caught the hint and followed, the two of us slipping in easily.

"Breached the walls…villains?!" He looked a little too enthusiastic for my liking, and I rolled my eyes.

"Maybe? Don't get too excited, we're not allowed to fight. Most we can do is run away. We don't have licenses." I informed him, and he scowled, clenching his fists.

"Who needs fucking licenses I'll kill them all without one"

"And then you'll end up in jail, so chill out. We should be safe in here anyways. We just have to…"

My breath caught in my throat. Katsuki was peering out the window of the room, ranting about something until he noticed I hadn't said anything. He glanced around, his eyes widening at the sight of black mist billowing out in to the room. I had known this was likely. I had known the dangers, but when faced with the reality of it, I only knew fear. Katsuki seemed to tense up as well, but he seemed more excited than I was. Our backs were to the door, currently blocked off by a large mass of students panicking.

"Oh, what do we have here? Curious, curious, I thought this room would be empty."

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you liked the update and again, sorry for the delay! I appreciate the reviews, follows, favorites, etc! I especially love critique, so feel free to leave a review if you want to express anything! Hopefully I'll have the next update a little quicker, but if not, I'l make sure its really long and good for you guys!**

 **Thanks again! :)**


	13. Warning

**A/N: This is a favorite arc of mine since I apparently increased the word count by a lot. This is a long chapter. aha! This chapter was originally going to be double the length, but I decided to save the next part for the next chapter. Didn't want to overwhelm you all aha!**

 **Special thanks as usual to my wonderful beta Wakacchi! They're amazing!**

 **Maetrix - hahaha, from what I've seen of him, he seems like a really honest and amazing guy. Like if I knew someone like that in real life, I'd so have a crush haha. Kirishima has been drinking a lot of that respecting woman juice! Hopefully you like this chapter then mmm!**

 **Guest #1 - oh my god, that would be amazing but I'm just a simple fic writer. I think it'll be big, but maybe not that big. There's some fics I've read out there that are amazing! Besides, even if it did get super popular, it wouldn't get like that without you amazing readers!**

 **204shipper - Thank you! You are so kind!**

 **kirika o7 - I actually read a bunch of really interesting theories on the traitor of Yuuei. I'm reluctant to include them though - I just have no idea who they might be, and I'm trying to to divert too far from canon at the moment. I'm not quite sticking to it though! thank you so much for your kind words!**

 **skidney - Thank you so much! Always a pleasure!**

 **spicyrash - I can imagine it'd be really hard to change it up to be honest. Its such a major part of the story, most people dont want to do too much to it. I do have plans for it though, so hopefully it will be different enough!**

 **Guest #2 - Endeavor is...he's something alright!**

 **Maester Ta - haha thank you!**

 **Iamthebestwriter (multiple reviews. Separating them with '/') Thank you so much! / Oh man, I know how you feel! I do that with fics all the time! Aus of AUs am i right?! I'm planning on a huge confrontation between them, but I'm not sure when yet! Decisions decisions! / hahahaha thank you! / You got your wish! I'm a fast updater unless its a huge or hard chapter!**

 **\- answering your bigger review in its own paragraph here-**

 **People definitely have questions and are concerned, but its really hard to approach that thing when you didn't expect it. They wouldn't know what trigger to look out for, and quite frankly, they're pretty nervous about causing a panic attack. I like to say they show their support through electing her as vice president - they're acknowledging her as more than just her trauma in a sense. Its an odd response to it, but when your quirk lashes out like that violently when you panic, people tend to be a little more careful about how they approach it!**

 **You really want them to hate each other haha! Oh trust me, they're going to clash a lot. They get really close in this chapter, but you'll have to read to find out what happened!**

* * *

Human beings weren't designed to have their bodies fully composed of a black fog-like substance, in my opinion. Kurogiri's black fog seemed to cover the entire floor, billowing out from his main body as if to encase the whole room. It didn't give off any odor, and when it brushed over my feet, it felt cool to the touch. That was not the main reason for my trembling though.

"Katsuki-kun, don't you do anything stupid. Don't you dare." I whispered urgently, my hand finding and gripping his wrist tightly. Underneath my touch, I could feel just how tense he was. I was relieved somewhat, since I wasn't sure if he could read the severity of our situation or not.

"Tch, don't tell me what to fucking do." He huffed quietly, his eyes locked on the villain across from us. He yanked his wrist from me, though he didn't make a move just yet. He clenched his fists, baring his metaphorical fangs at Kurogiri with a vicious smirk. "You're trespassing. Didn't think I'd get to take out a villain so early in my career, but looks like it's my lucky day!"

It was impossible to tell what Kurogiri was thinking, even if his glowing eyes were visible. Without an actual mouth, it was hard to get a read on him. Still, the fog seemed to lash out in response, pulling back a bit. I knew he wasn't afraid of two amateurs though, and that kept me from even speaking. What could you even say to someone who had both the ability and will to kill you? Nothing.

"My apologies, it wasn't my attention to get any of the students mixed up today with our plans." I bit my lip, acknowledging the implications. If not today, soon we would be involved. Katsuki seemed to understand as well, and I hear the faint popping from his fists. He wasn't stupid – he wouldn't give up our small advantage unless necessary. We knew Kurogiri's quirk in theory, but he didn't know ours.

"That's real unfortunate for you then, because I'm going to end you right here and now. Before you try any more stupid shit!" Katsuki laughed a bit, eyes wide as he took a few steps forward. I immediately lashed out, raising my arm to guide a small wall of fire in front of him. It was stupid, but I didn't know what else to do. I couldn't let them fight here. If Kurogiri decided to bring backup, then we were both dead.

"Katsuki-kun, d-don't! We can't fight!" I bit out, swallowing a bit as Katsuki turned his glare on me, and for a moment I thought he might fire at me.

"Don't you fucking interfere! We let this fuck leave with what he wants and who knows what he's going to fucking do. I have better things to do than deal with these weak ass extras later on!" he snapped, and it took all my effort to not retaliate angrily.

"You don't even know all of what he does! And we're in the middle of school! If you start something here, those kids behind this door could get involved. We can't fight him unless he tries to fight us!" It took all my effort and breath to argue with Katsuki like this, the threat lingering in the air suffocating.

I knew Katsuki wasn't stupid. He could analyze a battle mid-fight and adjust his strategies accordingly, taking down practically anybody who tried to fight him head on. Katsuki was a tactical genius in a sense so I couldn't understand why he was so determined to make the wrong move. I was by no means a genius myself, but even I knew the dangers of engaging with an enemy combatant with so many bystanders. Then, it hit me. He didn't care about the other kids on the other side of the door. No, he knew they could take care of themselves. This was a hero school full of potential, and even if we did engage in a risky battle, everybody who know immediately. The heroes would know. A fight was just as dangerous for Kurogiri as it was for us.

"…If you try to fight us or kill us, every hero around will know you were here. If you take us, they'll know somethings wrong. You had better leave before they come back." The words felt heavy in my throat, and I knew I wasn't really that intimidating. It was true, though, and hopefully would let us leave unscathed.

"Correct, you're very aware of the situation. But one would expect that of Endeavor's daughter." If Kurogiri had a mouth, I could imagine him smirking slightly. Katsuki bristled with anger, eyes narrowing as he suddenly whipped around. He ran forward, using one palm to launch himself over the teachers' desks. He pulled back his other arm, charging up an explosion as he lunged at Kurogiri.

"Luckily for everyone here, I already got what I came for. I have no need to linger here." I hadn't seen him dig around in any drawers, but I could imagine that a schedule had been left one of the teacher's desks. He had already seen it, so it was too late to prevent tomorrows catastrophe. Maybe.

"You're not going anywhere!" Katsuki howled, the explosion blinding as his fist met Kurogiri. That's what I assumed anyways for a moment.

"...I don't have time to engage with you further, but I suppose I can leave you with a parting gift. Another warning, if you will…" The black fog seemed to explode outwards suddenly as Kurogiri himself began to vanish, but not before allowing a small portal to appear in front of him. Katsuki's explosion and fist went through the portal, and that was when it hit me. Literally. On my left side.

The thing about our quirk is that while I couldn't burn myself with our fire, I was very much susceptible to outside sources. I could amplify our fire with outside sources, but unless I made contact via our fire first, I could easily be harmed. That being said, when both Katsuki's fist and explosion collided with the side of my face, I was suddenly aware of how much he had been pulling his punches back in our spars. The searing pain that enveloped the side of my face was enough to rip a shriek out of me as I was sent flying to the ground, falling to a crumpled heap as I tried to keep my breathing even.

It wasn't exactly traumatizing as much as it was surprising. For a moment, I had wondered if this was what it was like for Shoto when we were younger. That thought was dismissed quickly though, because while I would have liked to not be punched in the face with an explosion, it wasn't something that would really affect my life. It might leave a scar, and open a new wound for Shoto, but I was okay. I would be okay.

"What the fuck!" Katsuki growled, having pulled his arm back almost immediately when he realized what happened. There was a moment of hesitation as he stood there, unwilling to turn his back on the retreating enemy, before he finally turned to see what he had done to me. If I wasn't preoccupied with crying from the unexpected pain, I might have remembered to express my gratitude. I simply laid there though, curling up a bit while I counted my breaths.

"Oooh, my god. Ow, ow OW…" I hissed through clenched teeth, carefully touching the wound with my finger. It would likely leave a mark, though I wasn't sure for how long. I exhaled carefully, willing my body to relax so I could slowly sit up.

"You should've let me fight in the first place. This isn't over, and you know it!" Katsuki scowled, reaching down and yanking me up roughly. I stumbled a bit, keeping my hand hovering over the left side of my face as I tried to compose myself. I rolled my eyes and immediately regretted it, wincing a bit at the movement. I assumed most of the damage was on my face, but my eye might have suffered a little surface damage. I was still able to see, thankfully.

"If you hadn't tried to attack, I wouldn't have been hit! Not only that, but now they know what we do. If they come back, they'll be prepared for our quirks!" I shot back angrily, trying and failing to keep my tone level. I hadn't wanted him to be here with me. Sure, it would have been more dangerous alone, but at the end of the day I could spin any lie I needed to avoid suspicion. Now, I had a witness and I wasn't sure he'd go along with anything I'd say. I sure as hell wouldn't in his position.

"If they come back, they won't be leaving again. Why the fuck were you even here anyways?" Ah, that was right. I wasn't really supposed to be over here. I was supposed to have been in the lunchroom getting caught up in that mess with Izuku and the others. "And don't give me any bullshit. Are you with that guy?"

"W-what? No, why the hell would I be with him? You just saw me get punched in the face because of him!" I exclaimed, offended at the thought of anyone assuming I was a villain. Yeah, it was suspicious as hell that I just so happened to be here when the villain came, but I wasn't a crook. "I told you! I needed to talk to Aizawa-sensei!" I grit out, pulling my arm away after realizing he still had it.

"Why didn't you talk to him earlier then? Why did you fucking wait till after the alarm went off to go in here? You're up to something bitch." Katsuki took a step forward, eyes narrowed suspiciously. I half expected him to start swinging again, but he seemed to be calm enough to keep his fists to himself for the moment. I took a deep breath, quickly spinning up a more believable lie.

"I wanted to talk to Aizawa-sensei ALONE. Present Mic-sensei was in there too. You know how loud he gets and how much he likes me. He'd probably broadcast the whole conversation to everyone." I took another deep breath, shuddering a bit at the tinge of pain. "It was about his comments on my actions yesterday. He was a little vague and I wanted to know more. Happy?"

Katsuki stared me down, considering for a moment. He didn't relax so much as he backed off, letting his hands fall before sliding them in to his pockets. He looked away with a frown, clearly annoyed but willing to relent. I wasn't sure if he believed me, but if he was willing to back off I'd take it.

"Alright, now that you're calm. And I'm calm. Lets just get the hell out of here before-" I trailed off, feeling the lump in my throat returning tenfold when the door slowly slid open. Aizawa stood there, giving us both an unimpressed look before his eyes drifted around the room. The ground was scorched slightly from where I had brought up the wall to stop Katsuki, and when Katsuki had lunged at the villain he had knocked papers off the desks everywhere. It wasn't as bad as it could have been, but it didn't make for a pretty sight.

He took a step forward, and I automatically recoiled back. Aizawa took notice, hesitating for a moment before approaching slower. I had expected something like father's burning anger, but Aizawa was more like cool disappointment. I knew it was there, but he didn't broadcast it as aggressively as father might of. In fact, he seemed more concerned about my face than anything else, crouching down slightly as he took my face carefully in his hands. He didn't touch it, simply investigating and I found myself relaxing slightly.

"Did you hit her Bakugou-san?" He didn't look at the other teen, and his voice was completely calm, but Katsuki scowled anyways.

"Yes, I did. But it wasn't my fucking fault. There was a god damn villain and he used his quirk to make me." He didn't waste any time, and while his voice wasn't calm in the slightest, it was clear his anger was directed more at the villain than anything else. He couldn't care less at being suspected of attacking another student. I couldn't really get a good look at him though with Aizawa still inspecting my injury.

"He's telling the truth. He wasn't aiming for me. This guy has some kind of portal quirk. Like…he warped in here. When Katsuki-kun attacked, he made a portal that redirected his explosion at me." I babbled a bit, caught between nervousness and discomfort. Aizawa seemed to catch on, releasing his hold on my and rising to full height.

"You need to go to Recovery Girl-san. If Bakugou-san isn't injured, then he can return to the cafeteria. Or, he can just head back to the classroom since lunch is close to ending. The students should be calmed now." Aizawa finally spoke as though he hadn't just heard about a real villain infiltration. I could see why he insisted on keeping a calm façade, as I wouldn't want to round up panicked teenagers either. Not when half of our quirks reacted rather violently to outside threats.

"What are you gonna do about that fucking villain huh? You haven't said anything about him." Katsuki crossed his arms over his chest, clearly not willing to let the subject lie. I remained quiet, trying to be appear as small as humanely possible. Aizawa glanced over at him, quirking an eyebrow.

"You don't need to worry about that, let your teachers handle this. We'd like to not make this any bigger than necessary. I'd advise you keep it to yourself for now, Bakugou-san. We'll handle the rest." Katsuki was hardly pacified, but Aizawa was perfectly capable of handling him if he reacted aggressively. His eyes darted to mine, lingering for a second before he let out a huff before slamming the door open. He made sure to slam it just as roughly behind him, and I couldn't help but flinch.

"As for you, I'll escort you to Recovery Girl-san. We need to have a quick talk I think." I nodded slowly, shuffling out of the room when he opened the door for the two of us. Compared to earlier, the hallways were completely deserted once the initial panic had worn off. The few stragglers seemed a little tense than normal, but everything seemed okay.

"…If you want to know why I was there, I wanted to talk about the results from yesterday…" I began as we walked down the hall, keeping my eyes firmly on the ground.

"Oh? I thought I made myself perfectly clear. You need more control." I sighed, twitching just a bit when my slight frown pulled the skin on my face. I couldn't wait until this was healed.

"No, I mean…I thought you would be…I don't know? A little harsher? I lost my mind and nearly injured everybody. My score wasn't even as bad as I expected. It's like…" I trailed off quietly, glancing over at Aizawa. This had all originally been a ruse to cover up my knowledge about Kurogiri, but something about facing off against a villain seemed to make me a bit more open with my thoughts. I hadn't intended to talk to Aizawa about anything, but now I couldn't stop rambling.

"You assume I'm making an exception because of Endeavor." He finished my thoughts firmly, and I sighed again. "I can assure you Homura-san that I couldn't care less about Endeavor. I'm not his sensei, I'm yours." I blinked, having not expected him to be so blunt about it. He stopped, placing a hand on my shoulder and carefully wheeling me around to face him. He crouched down again, like a father speaking to his child, and I felt the emotions bubbling up inside of me. I clamped down on them hard, not really keen on the possible waterworks.

"Hero work isn't as glamorous as the media tries to portray it as. Sometimes we have to do unpleasant things. Sometimes when we go in, we don't come back unscathed. Sometimes, we have to live with the scars forever." I knew he wasn't talking about physical markings. I briefly wondered how many people he had failed to save. Did they haunt him constantly? I couldn't help the question, it was practically burning the tip of my tongue.

"…You don't always save everybody do you? Not even the villains…" Aizawa closed his eyes for a moment, silent before opening them. I felt slightly guilty, putting him on the spot like this. When I had been face to face with a villain who had the capability and reasoning to kill me, I wasn't able to do anything. I didn't know if I could do anything tomorrow if we went on that field trip. I had wanted to change things, but I had never been desensitized to the reality of hero work. None of us had. I assumed we would someday, but we were going to need it sooner. I was going to need it.

"No. We're not always fast enough to save people. And some villains…they don't let themselves be saved. Unfortunately, you were exposed to the reality of true villains earlier than expected, but please don't assume we'll simply let you be. Neither of you two." That caught me off guard, and I couldn't help but widen my eyes. I flinched at the stab of pain, covering my eye, and Aizawa rose up once again.

"No, we don't know what caused the trauma that both of you are experiencing. It's not that hard to tell when a student is having problems. I'm sure your brothers have spoken to you about the school's plans, yes?" I nodded mutely, and he continued.

"Then you should understand that we don't intend to simply let you go on as you are. Heroes aren't untainted. We have our own scars. We've just been able to move on and come to terms. We intend to make sure you both do as well." It was crazy how just a few words could get the tear ducts working on overtime. I was trying to keep my composure as we began walking, but the sting on my cheek told me I wasn't doing a very good job. Aizawa chose not to point it out, thankfully.

"But if we didn't agree to do it, I would have been expelled…" I pointed out carefully, and Aizawa simply shrugged.

"How can you expect to save lives if you wont even save yourself?" It was a bit harsh, but I couldn't find any reason to disagree. I had to wonder if Shoto would feel the same way since he wanted to be the top hero. It was plain as day to me, and apparently the school, that he was suffering. Did he want to be helped? Would he be able to shrug off the burden holding him back, so he could rise to the top? It was too soon to tell, especially since we hadn't even started our sessions with our brothers. It gave me something to consider, and soon Aizawa and I fell in to a comfortable silence as we reached the clinic.

"Again? Do you and All Might-san intend to have your classes' homeroom in my clinic?" Recovery Girl scowled when she saw me, hopping off her chair to get a better look. I quietly obliged her, kneeling a bit so she could take my face in her hands. Honestly at this point I was just waiting for somebody to make off with my face considering how many people had been touching it recently.

"There was an incident." Aizawa didn't elaborate any further, but Recovery Girl seemed to understand the severity anyways. I winced a bit as she poked and prodded, and when she finally let go, I noticed Aizawa had silently slipped out.

"That class of yours…you're going to be real trouble huh?" she grumbled, gesturing for me to lean down further. When I did so, she pecked my forehead and I felt my face feel slightly better. I poked it a bit, wincing at the dull pain.

"Ah ah ah, don't do that. I didn't heal it all the way. I took care of the initial pain, but I really prefer to let the body do the rest on its own. No need to exhaust you unnecessarily." She reprimanded me lightly, and I grimaced. So much for hiding what happened.

"Wait, so I have a black eye right now? Is it going to clear up all the way? I don't mind being a little tired…" I protested weakly, feeling tiny compared to the woman when she leveled a glare at me.

"The bruising will vanish in a day or so, don't get so worked up. And as for scarring, you might have a slight mark. Not as prominent as your brothers-" I winced at this, and her face softened just a bit. "-but I wouldn't expect it to be the same as before. You took a nasty hit. Hopefully you won't have to again for a long time." She seemed regretful, and I couldn't help but feel slightly guilty for my entire class. Izuku had practically destroyed his body twice now, and I was here on my second visit as well.

"…I'm guessing older classes didn't have this many problems, huh?" I took a shot at humor, hoping I sounded convincing. I don't know if she simply indulged me or not, but she laughed a bit anyways.

"Anytime that All Might-san gets involved, things blow way out of proportion. Now shoo, you have class to attend, don't you?" I nodded, standing up slowly. I couldn't help but prod at my face again, much to Recovery Girl's disgruntlement, and winced again.

"Ah, sensei? Do you think…do you think I could have something to cover this with? I don't really want to show it off…not a really fun battle scar." I admitted lamely, and Recovery Girl simply snorted.

"Don't you think covering it up will draw even more attention to it?" She had a pointed, but that wasn't really my reason behind hiding it. I didn't want him to see it. I didn't want Shoto to know how bad it had gotten.

"That's…not the reason. I just…I don't want him to see it." I steeled my resolve, giving her the best baby-doll eyes I could muster. I knew it was likely me overreacting and the bandages were entirely unnecessary, but I had my reasons. I didn't want to explain them too in depth, but I would do almost anything to get my way. Recovery Girl seemed to consider for a moment before sighing and rolling her eyes.

"All right, all right come here. I'm only doing this because you asked nicely AND because I know you have bookwork today in class. Don't leave it on longer than today though. It's unnecessary and you're going to need to be a little less self-conscious about these things if you want to be a Pro hero." I simply nodded, making sure to emphasis my gratefulness when I sat down on the bed. Needless to say, I found out seeing with one eye was incredibly jarring.

* * *

"Homura-chan, do you want to hang out today? I know this really cute café we can all go to!"

I considered my options, my head currently facedown on the desk. There was something about the way Shoto stared at me that had made me incredibly uncomfortably, and the only thing that helped was keeping my face down. Of course, I couldn't really answer Ashido with my face hidden, so I eventually pulled myself together. She had the courtesy to not flinch thankfully, and I felt myself relax slightly.

"Eeeh, I'd love to. But I have training with Oto-san today actually. He wouldn't be too happy if I skipped out." I rubbed my head awkwardly, and tried to ignore the envious looks sent my way. If they knew my father better, they wouldn't be so openly jealous.

"Wow, you get to train with the number two pro hero. Can't say I envy you too much though, not when...uh well anyways, maybe we can spar sometimes?" Kirishima recovered quickly, trying not to bring too much attention to my injury. I could appreciate his consideration, and I graced him with a small smile.

When I had first entered the room after my visit to the clinic, I had almost tripped over how much attention focused on me. I nearly lost my nerve once the muttering started, but thankfully Aizawa had hushed everybody. Whether it was for my sake or because he wanted everybody to shut up, I couldn't tell. Still, I had wasted no time hurrying to my desk and promptly ducking my head. Katsuki had ignored me, but Shoto…well let's just say I never wanted to see that expression on him ever again. Luckily, everybody else had taken the hint and left me be for the rest of the classes. Of course, once class ended, I knew I was fair game. Everybody was nice though, and for that I was relieved.

"Maybe? I'm sure we'll have a lot of sparring time in class. Not sure if I'd have anything interesting to teach you from Oto-san though. I think its quirk training." I hummed, rubbing my chin thoughtfully. I assumed it had to do with Fire, because focusing on my close quarters combat seemed a bit redundant at this point. Yuuei would take care of that, and with my daily conditioning to keep my muscles up, all that was left was to work with Fire. Ice would have to be something I learned for experience.

"Its really helpful when your parents have the same quirk as you. My kaa-san has the same as me. Mutations are kind of a pain." Jiro commented, leaning back slightly in her chair as she joined the conversation. She and I didn't really interact much, since she tended to keep up a wall around her, but she was friendlier than I might have expected. At the very least, she actually tried to talk with us and engage in idle conversation.

"It also helps when your quirk is really simple! Not much to learn about mine, haha!" I nearly jumped when Hagakure suddenly appeared on my side, with clothes on much to my relief. Jiro seemed just as relieved, because neither of us had noticed her floating clothes suddenly gravitate towards the group. I had automatically assumed she was stark naked, and that thought didn't bode well with me considering she was right next to me. I covered my face to hide my impending embarrassment, guiding my thoughts elsewhere.

"Well, ours isn't quite like Oto-sans. I can use Ice too, and with that one I have to figure out on my own. There's only so much he can help with." I admitted.

"Eh? So, wait, is your mother's quirk something to do with ice?" I steadied my breathing at the mention of her, and quietly prayed that Shoto wasn't listening in. My eyes flickered over to his form, which still seemed intent on drilling a figurative hole through the back of Tokoyami's head.

"W-well, yeah I think so. I can't really rely on her to help though, so I have to figure that part out myself. It'll come to me, I'm sure of it." I managed to stutter only once, and nobody seemed inclined on commenting on it. They did, however, comment on my mother and I felt the dread settling in.

"Oh, that blows. Mother ain't around eh? At least you have your father?" Sero spoke up, his body completely turned around in his chair. He leaned his head on the top of his chair as he spoke, completely unaware of everything as he spoke. I winced, and before I could say anything, I felt the room drop a few degrees. Aizawa's caterpillar sleeping bag twitched a bit at the front of the room.

"You don't know anything, so you should watch your mouth." Shoto's tone was icy, and those his expression was neutral, it was very clear from the look in his eyes that he words promised death. The awkwardness in the room dialled itself up to eleven, and everybody shivered uneasily. Shoto didn't seem to care, his eyes lingering on my frozen form for a moment before he suddenly stood up and headed for the door. Everybody watched him warily, and Sero looked around guilty.

"O-oh, sorry. I didn't mean to insult anybody I swear! That was my bad!" he apologized quickly, and I grimaced.

"Nice going…" Ashido muttered, her normally bright personality dampened by the tension in the room. Everybody seemed to relax a bit when Shoto hurried out, but it was apparent everybody was incredibly uncomfortable.

"U-um, I'm sorry about that…I should get going. Don't want to be late! I'll talk to you guys later." I was quick to evacuate the scene, ignoring Katsuki as I dashed out of the room. I slowed down when I heard footsteps behind me, sighing a bit as I looked around.

"A-ah, Homura-chan…wanna walk to the station with us?" Izuku breathed, apparently having run to catch up. Iida and Uraraka trailed behind, both looking equally concerned. It had been a while since we walked together, and I couldn't find it in me to decline his offer. I sighed a bit, clutching my bag tightly before turning on my heels.

"Yeah, I'd like that. It's too bad we don't live in the same district though." I spoke regretfully, and Izuku nodded. Uraraka and Iida both seemed to beam at my acceptance, and soon the four of us were walking through the halls.

"I'm glad you want to walk with us Homura-chan! It's been so long, I was kind of worried! I missed you at lunch today!" Uraraka clapped her hands together happily, smiling brightly.

"Yes, we should make an effort to mingle more! Getting to know our classmates and earning each other's trust is important though!" Iida made yet another odd gesture with his hands, and I couldn't help but laugh.

"Yeah, I'm sorry, been a bit busy! Ashido-chan is pretty much attached to my right hand. You can always call me, you know? I usually answer unless I'm training." I added, and they both nodded enthusiastically.

"Do you still train at the dojo, Homura-chan?" Izuku inquired, and I sighed, chuckling weakly.

"Eeeh, I probably should, but I don't. I take care of my body conditioning at home and we're supposed to be sparring here, so I haven't really thought it worthwhile anymore. I visit Endurant-sensei a lot though when I can." I admitted, Izuku nodding in agreement.

"Yeah, I…considered going there, but with the way my quirk is…I think it's better to stick to the school for now." Izuku hummed, blinking as Iida suddenly walked ahead of everybody.

"Oh yeah, Homura-chan! You totally missed it! Iida-kun is class president now!"I had almost forgotten about that with all that had happened earlier, and I flashed a proud smile at the now preening teen.

"Really? Well congrats, guess a lot more people agreed with me than I thought. Let's do our best, yeah?" Iida nodded rapidly, clapping his hands together enthusiastically. He seemed to be more excited than I had assumed, and I found myself a bit overwhelmed with his increased enthusiasm.

"Yes! I am honored to work with you…wait! What…what has happened to our fine school?!" It took me a moment to realize what he was talking about as we all stood by the gate. I looked around him, realization dawning as I caught site of the gate and I swallowed hard. Uraraka and Izuku peeked around him curiously, both looking shocked as they stared at the rubble of what was once our impenetrable door.

"So that's how the reporters got in…you wouldn't think they'd be so desperate." Izuku muttered, and I kept my thoughts firmly to myself.

"I hope they got who did it. Whoever destroyed our gate…that's a really dangerous quirk!" Uraraka looked a little nervous, and while Iida seemed flustered, he simply turned around to face us with his hands outstretched.

"Of course, our school caught the perpetrators! A highly esteemed establishment such as Yuuei wouldn't simply allow such a criminal to walk away! Our senseis are professional, and we shouldn't worry when we're in such capable hands!" The over exaggerated propaganda was silly, but it did the trick. Uraraka and I both giggled at his odd display, and Izuku couldn't help but smile.

"Huh, did they? You're certain?" I blinked, mildly confused. Iida shook his head, still smiling.

"I did not see them take anybody in to custody, but we should trust in our Senseis! They will not let the criminal walk away!" Ah, so it was an assumption on good faith.

"He's right. With All Might-sensei here, I don't think we have a thing to worry about!" Izuku proudly exclaimed, his inner fanboy showing just a bit. Uraraka and I exchanged looks before bursting out in to giggles once more, the boy's displays too silly to just ignore. Izuku seemed a bit flustered while Iida patted him on the back, encouraging his open admiration of their sensei.

"As fun as this is, we should probably hurry. We have a train to catch, don't we?" I reminded them, and everyone exchanged sheepish grins. We all carefully maneuvered around the debris, and I made sure to ignore the sight of our sensei investigating the door. I made sure to not search out Aizawa in the crowd and even huddled closer to our little ragtag group as we headed down the street. I had told Aizawa everything I could. I just hoped they would react the right way. If not, then I had my work cut out for me tomorrow.

* * *

"Homura-chan, what happened?!" You'd think that if somebody asked a question, they'd wait for you to answer. Fuyumi threw her arms around me in a tight hug, and I swore for a second she had a strength-enhancing quirk as I struggled to breath. She didn't let go until I started wheezing, finally letting me stumble back.

"U-um, just a bit of unfortunate roughhousing. It was an accident." I assured her, and while she seemed far from appeased, she at least didn't try to crush my lungs. She simply let out a breath and grasped my hands with one of her own, the other gently prodding at the bandages. I winced and leaned back, hoping she got the picture.

"I knew you'd probably get hurt, but I didn't think so soon! Your eye is okay though?" she cast me a worried look as I gently pushed past her, taking my shoes off and slipping in to the house shoes by the door.

"Yeah, yeah its just bruising really. I just didn't want him to see it…" I trailed off, and Fuyumi understood right away. She sighed, following behind me as we walked through a hall.

"I was wondering why he was so cross when he got home. Didn't even say anything to me when I greeted him." Fuyumi sighed unhappily, and I winced.

"Ah…well yeah he isn't too happy about this. But somebody brought up Kaa-san in…a bad way and didn't know better." I explained, and Fuyumi flinched. I sometimes forgot we all shared the same mother, especially since they didn't get to see much of her after we were born. I had long since stopped feeling guilty about it, because I couldn't really do anything about it.

"Oh…that IS bad. Luckily Oto-san should be occupied with you today. He even came home earlier…oh that's right! He wanted me to send you to him straight away!" she added, seeming regretful. I simply shrugged off my bag, giving her a grateful look when she took it from me.

"I didn't expect him to give me time to do much else honestly. I'll see you later I guess? Leave my bag in my room, I'll have to do my homework later." I sighed, heading straight for the training hall to meet my doom. Hopefully, it wouldn't be too bad of a session.

It was awkward, to say the least, sitting there across from him meditating of all things. You wouldn't guess from the way he acted, but father meditated frequently to maintain a certain state of calm. As calm as he could be anyways. Fire was a volatile and dangerous quirk, and if you couldn't maintain calm within yourself, then you would never control it.

"I was informed about the incident at Yuuei. I can see you lost." I nodded silently, not willing to argue. We HAD lost in a way. They got away with the schedule for tomorrow and information about Katsuki and my quirks. We only knew they were planning something, but that didn't do jack for anybody. Well I knew the exact plans, but I had no way to convey them without being suspicious. It was frustrating and annoying, but I had to face the music and continue walking forward.

"I didn't expect him. I don't think anybody would. I did the best with what I was given." I was firm, and there seemed to be a hint of approval when he opened his eyes. It didn't mean I was amazing in his eyes, but I showed my ability to understand the situation. I knew when I was defeated, but I didn't bow out of it quietly.

"I wouldn't expect you to react well in that situation, so you're getting off with a warning. But the next time something happens, you WILL not disgrace our family name. I will make sure of it." He stood up carefully and I followed suit. I was a bit wary, unsure of what exactly we would be doing. He simply held out his hand, letting a bit of flame flicker to life. I watched, not quite sure what he wanted from me.

"You're ignorant of true control. You think by controlling the shape and size you're in control, but those are only the basics! True control is conquering every aspect of fire. In this case, temperature." He suddenly flung it in my face, and I recoiled back as I was temporarily blinding. It wasn't all that hot though, and it was more of an inconvenience than anything else.

"I can raise or lower the temperature upon will. The hotter the fire, the more of your energy it will require. You won't always need a high temperature to take care of villains. They're not always worth the effort." He seemed to sneer a bit, folding his arms across his chest. It took me a second to realize what he wanted, and I held out my palm. The fire started at my shoulder, licking across my arms before settling in my palm. It wasn't as efficient as his way, but it was how I could do it.

"Lower the temperature." I furrowed my brows, unsure of what to do. He didn't exactly explain it, but I guessed it had to do with the difference in our quirks. My fire wouldn't react to the same methods he used. I had to understand it myself. We stood there for a few minutes, sweat beading on my forehead as I tried to will the fire a little lower. It eventually just fizzled out entirely, and father rolled his eyes before taking a step back. Fire suddenly roared to life in his arm and he brought both palms forward, suddenly shooting a blast at me. I instinctively responded, meeting his fire with my own. I was quickly overwhelmed by the intensity of his and blasted backwards, tripping and falling on my rear.

"You have no control over it. If you can't meet my temperature, you will be blasted. I told you already, I will make you learn this. Get up, and come at me again. I don't care if you're tired. You shouldn't have let yourself get injured earlier." I winced, standing up slowly. He wasted no time, shooting another stream of fire I was expected to meet. I brought my palms up again, trying to will my fire hotter. I was once again overwhelmed, and I found myself repeating this over and over as I tried to meet his temperature. Sometimes he raised it too hot and I was sent flying. Sometimes he lowered it and allowed my flame to overcome his, only to send it flying back as punishment. If I couldn't meet his temperature exactly, I wasn't doing it right.

It was well in to the night when I finally collapsed on to my knees, sweating hard for exertion. My limbs trembled, and I could feel myself overheating from all the work I had done. It was all for naught though, and I could feel his disapproval from my spot on the floor.

"Typical. You were always the weaker one. If Shoto would stop with his temper tantrum, I wouldn't even have to worry about you." He scowled, letting his flames die down. I simply sat there quietly, focusing more on myself than him.

"Go, finish your homework. You'll have a few hours of sleep before we meet again. I expect you to be on time. Don't make me drag you out of your room." He jabbed his finger at the door, and I scurried out quickly. I glanced at a clock on the wall as I rushed to my room, grimacing. I would be getting at most five hours, and that was if I even slept. Tomorrow's trip was enough to keep my mind preoccupied, and I wasn't sure if I could ignore that for a few hours of sleep. Not that it really mattered, since I had to finish homework and shower on top of everything. I yawned, doing my best to focus as I headed to my room. When I opened the door, I found Shoto sitting on the bed. I didn't know how long he'd been there, but I knew he wasn't leaving without answers. His eye lingered on my uncovered face, as the bandages had burned off during training, and he visibly flinched.

"What happened?" he finally managed, and I sighed, crossing the room to slowly sit in the chair by my desk. I was quiet for a moment, considering my answer as I dug out the work for the night.

"I can't talk about it. Not yet. Trust me, Shoto-kun." I emphasized the last bit, and I could hear ice forming on my bed. Hopefully he would be considerate and get rid of it before he left.

"You told me that earlier, and then you come back like that. Why would I?" He deserved answers. I knew it, he knew it. I couldn't break my word with Aizawa though. I knew he didn't want to spread any panic, so telling Shoto about the villains was out of the question. I couldn't throw Katsuki under the rug either. I was left without any viable options, and it was frustrating.

"I know what I said. But this time I'm serious when I can't tell you. I want to, but I can't." I felt a bit guilty, but I would have to throw Aizawa under the bus for now. "Aizawa-sensei asked me not to speak of it. Not now. Soon." I added, hoping it would pacify him a bit. I looked behind me, and to my disappointment, he seemed angrier.

"Aizawa-sensei? Did HE do that to you?" He bit out, clenching his fists. I sucked in my breath, praying for patience and for my bed to not get wet. I needed every advantage tonight I could get.

"No, no he didn't. It was an accident. I'm telling you the truth. I fucked up real bad today, if I can be honest. But I had good intentions. I always have good intentions." I was quiet, my voice oddly calm despite my racing heart. It was the first time that I could acknowledge I was wrong and Shoto was right. I had always been the calmer and level-headed of the two of us, but this time I had messed up. Shoto had every right now to trust me now. I wouldn't blame him if he didn't.

"You did. You fucked up today, Homura-chan." I expected it of course, but it still stung a bit. I looked back, and surprisingly he didn't seem as angry as before. He seemed a bit sad , but not angry.

"Would you believe me if I apologized?" I smiled weakly, and he met my gaze.

"Don't apologize if you aren't going to stop doing stupid things. It doesn't mean shit." It was strange hearing him swear, but I supposed he'd pick up something from the classroom eventually. It could have been worse, and despite the gravity of the situation, I couldn't help but laugh.

"I-I'm sorry, but I haven't really heard you curse so much before." I apologized as best I could while Shoto stared at me. He closed his eyes and sighed, letting a very faint smile appear for a second. It was gone just as fast, but I could appreciate the gesture.

"I'll stop swearing, if you stop throwing yourself headfirst in to stupid situations. I know we're twins, but I didn't want us to match perfectly." His voice hitched at the end, and I sobered fairly quickly. I was reminded of the bruise on my eye, and it was as if life had a cruel sense of humor. We were twins, so of course we should match down to the scar.

"If its any consolation, Recovery Girl-sensei didn't think it would scar too badly. It's mostly a large bruise." I tried to console him, though it was a weak attempt. He simply shook his head, rubbing his face for a second to clear his thoughts.

"What did HE want to teach you?" It took me a moment to understand what he was asking, and I hummed thoughtfully. I never thought he would be interested in what our father was teaching me, but I could indulge him. Maybe it would distract him from his thoughts.

"Temperature control, believe it or not. I didn't really get it, but I don't think he expected I would. I think he wants me to teach you, since you won't learn from him…" I trailed off, and Shoto immediately slid off the bed.

"No, I refuse. Don't ask me to learn anything from him. I won't rely on his power." Shoto scowled as he spoke, and I sighed.

"It's not his. It's ours. You should be able to use it in case something happens." I spoke carefully, trying to avoid pressing his buttons. He, of course, simply shook his head before leaving the room. I sighed, leaning back in my chair slightly. I tried, but it was obvious he wouldn't accept simply because I asked him. He was already upset with me as it was, so I resigned myself to my fate and started working on my homework. As expected, I didn't sleep much.

* * *

"For the foundational skill of heroics we'll study today, it was decided you'll be supervised by a three-man team comprising me, All Might-sensei, and somebody else."

Everybody else whooped and cheered, but I could only sink down in my seat a little. From the way he worded it, their decision was based on yesterday's events. Obviously it had been preplanned before, since Kurogiri and the others had found out the schedule due to their invasion yesterday, but I wondered if my information did them any good. I glanced over at Katsuki, but he kept his attention focused on Aizawa.

"Sensei! What'll we be doing?" Sero raised his hand, speaking loudly above the classroom chatter. Everyone died down a bit as he asked, eyes locking on to Aizawa as he fished around in his pockets. He eventually procured a small card, holding it up for emphasis as he spoke.

"Be the hero that everyone needs, whether it's a flood or any other disaster. The trial of rescue!" Unlike All Might, he mustered up very little energy as he displayed the little card.

"I don't think I'll be able to do anything really. Not unless I have Ice, but if we're all working at the same time I'll only have Fire." I muttered, barely able to muster up any enthusiasm. I propped my head up with my hands, resting my chin in my palms. The bruise from earlier had lightened up a bit, but there was still a chance of scarring. At the very least, it looked a lot better than it had before. Shoto had even relaxed when I saw him earlier that morning.

"Yeah, I'm not sure if my quirk will be able to do anything either. Sounds a bit difficult this time around." Kaminari leaned back in his chair, seeming just a bit put off by the idea.

"Come on dumbass! That's what a hero's job is! I'm chomping at the bit!" Kirishima cheered, clearly excited about the idea. Of course, his quirk was a bit more suited for the task, so his opinion was a bit biased.

"Well yeah, but it's a bit daunting when using your quirk will be difficult. Fire is a little volatile." I piped in, and Kirishima looked a bit sympathetic at least.

"Oh, well I guess so! I'm sure you can get creative Homura-chan! I'm sure you can melt the metal in a building to make an escape route, yeah?" he inquired, and I hummed thoughtfully. That was a good idea, but if I couldn't muster up the right temperature, then it wouldn't do me much good. I had a sneaking suspicion father had known exactly what the plans were today. I was a bit surprised by his sudden concern for my abilities, but it was likely more for the family name than anything else. I could appreciate the help though.

"If it's a flood environment, then that's my specialty!" Tsuyu smiled a bit, tapping a large finger against her chin. I couldn't help but feel a bit envious since she was going to be amazing in the rescue department. I had seen only a little of her using her quirk, but she was incredibly talented. This was definitely within her comfort zone.

"I'm sure we can all manage somehow! And if we have trouble, we can help each other out yeah? That's what heroes do!" Yaoyorozu jumped in the conversation with a smile, and Kirishima practically glowed with enthusiasm.

"That settles it! We're all going to help each other like men would! Yeah?" he cheered, and soon most of the class was clapping enthusiastically. I couldn't help but laugh along, surprised by the sudden change. Everybody had seemed a bit distant in the manga, but experiencing it firsthand was so much more different. Of course, with the knowledge of what was to come, I couldn't stay excited for too long. I felt a bit guilty, knowing their smiles would be dashed away almost as soon as we got there.

"Don't get ahead of yourselves." Aizawa reprimanded lightly, the class settling down as he spoke. "As I was saying, this time, its entirely up to each of you whether or not you wear your costume. Some of your costumes probably aren't adapted to the task at hand after all." I tilted my head at that, raising my hand slowly.

"Do heroes have different costumes for different environments then?" Aizawa nodded slowly, and I was suddenly conscious of how dumb a question that was. Of course, they would have different costumes. Nobody seemed to comment on my air headedness though, and some even seemed surprised by the answer. At least I wasn't the only one.

"Some materials don't work in certain environments. Sometimes you need to adjust based on culture as well, because different countries have different rules regarding costumes. You won't likely work outside of Japan, however, so it's mostly the environment you'll have to worry about." He closed his eyes, sighing a bit. I felt a bit bad, having derailed the topic a little.

"The training area is fairly far away, so we'll get there by bus. That's all. Go get prepared." As he spoke, the walls shifted to allow the shelves without costumes to appear. Everybody clambered around the desks, and this time I found myself in the crowd as I tried to grab my suitcase.

"I want to talk to you." Katsuki seemed a bit quieter than normal, but just as angry as he usually was. It was just passive this time around, and he avoided my gaze. I cocked an eyebrow at him, clutching the suitcase to my chest before sighing.

"Alright, meet outside the room real quick before going to the locker rooms? We have to hurry it up though, cause we have to get on the bus soon." I mumbled, and he simply pushed his way through the crowd, ignoring the angry curses following his path.

"Man, that dude is really something. So angry." Kirishima muttered as he carefully made his way through, glancing over at me. "What's he want with you?"

I shrugged. "Maybe Endurant-sensei told him to knock some sense in to me. I haven't been to the dojo in a while." I knew what he wanted, but I couldn't exactly explain. The lie fell easily from my lips, and Kirishima accepted it without a second thought. I eventually made my way outside in to the hallways, leaning against the wall beside him. I caught sight of Shoto eyeing us suspiciously as he headed for the locker rooms, but he refrained from saying anything.

"If this is about yesterday, I'm not mad or anything. It was an accident." I finally spoke, and he snorted. He dug a hand in to his pockets, fishing out a wad of cash. He took my hand roughly and crushed the bills in to my hand, frowning.

"I don't give a fuck whether you're mad or not. I just don't like owing you shit." I blinked.

"What for?" He rolled his eyes, as if the answer was obvious. It wasn't of course, and I simply stared him down until he eventually relented.

"You didn't throw me under the fucking bus, you dimwitted fuck. You could have said something stupid like I hit you on purpose or some shit, but you didn't so take the fucking money and go." He spit out, pushing off the wall and stomping away before I could get another word. I guess he respected me? It was hard to tell, but I quietly deposited the money with a smile.

"Did he just pay you off for something dirty? Can I buy-" Mineta didn't get a chance to finish his sentence, my face flushing slightly as I slammed my suitcase in to his face. I didn't normally like to punish him myself, but there was nobody else around and I did not want to hear what he had to say. I scurried to the locker room quickly, and soon we were all scrambling towards the bus.

"In order to get everyone smoothly on the bus, file in to two lines according to your number!" I stood next to Iida as he whistled at everybody, gesturing in the air for everyone to follow him. As class president and vice president, we were both responsible for managing our classmates when it came to this type of thing. Aizawa was nowhere in sight, and I had a sneaking suspicion someone might have accidentally packed him and his sleeping case in the luggage area. Or maybe he did that himself.

"Looking good Izuku-kun." I gave the green-haired boy a thumbs up when I caught sight of his improvised costume, much to his chagrin, and couldn't help but giggle at the sight. Uraraka covered her mouth herself, both of us laughing at his expense.

"How come you're in your gym clothes Deku?" She asked through her giggle fit, and Izuku flushed at the sudden attention. I rolled my eyes, patting him on the head when I made my way over there. Iida seemed a bit disgruntled by my abandonment of my post, but I just waved him off. I wasn't doing much there anyways.

"Katsuki-kun blew up his suit, last I remember." I answered for him, doing my best to not remember that day visually. Last thing I needed was to have a panic attack before the action really began.

"Ah, yeah the repairs are being handled by the support company. So, I'm just waiting for them." He finally managed, fiddling with his neck piece.

"What is that even for?" I inquired, staring at the weird piece. Izuku glanced down, smiling a bit.

"Ah this, well with my first costume it held my mask. I bought this one separately instead of waiting for my costume. It's kind of like protection?" He didn't seem sure, and I was concerned that it was more for appearance than anything else. I was about to say something further when Ashido came skipping up to us, taking a hold of my arm and yanking me away.

"Come on, you have to sit with me and Kirishima~" she sung loudly, Iida catching sight of us and waving his arms frantically.

"No, no you have to go by the numbers! I prepared everything already, so please follow the rules. Vice president Homura-chan!" he gestured towards me, and I giggled as I pulled away from Ashido.

"You heard the man, gotta follow the rules. I can't set a bad example for you guys." I laughed, running over to rejoin Iida. He reprimanded me lightly, but I couldn't be bothered to care as everyone filed on to the bus. To our surprise, and Iida's horror, the bus we took was more of a mix between a train and a bus rather than a simple school bus like he had anticipated.

"So, it ended up being this kind of bus anyways!" Iida practically wailed, his head hanging moments later as we all sat down. Ashido couldn't contain the slight laugher, covering her mouth as she glanced at him beside her.

"So, there was no point, huh?" she grinned, pleased with the outcome. I personally preferred the other bus set up, but there wasn't much to be done at this point. I sat next to Kirishima, leaning forward a bit as we all chatted in the front seats of the bus.

"Well technically half the bus was like he said. So, it kind of had a point. Some of us are organized the way you wanted Iida-kun." I tried to appease him, and his head suddenly shut up. It was a little unnerving how fast he zeroed in on him and I couldn't help the slight cringe. Kirishima snickered beside me.

"Thank you for your thoughtful words, Homura-chan! Hopefully in the future they will rectify the transportation, so we can be better organized for the future!" He waved his hands, and Ashido had to duck to avoid getting hit.

"Homura-chan, don't encourage him! I'm in the danger zone!" she cried out dramatically, prompting laughter from most of the bus. Everyone seemed to be having a great time, and for a moment I forgot about our impending doom.

"Hey Midoriya-kun, I always say what I think no matter what's on my mind." I caught wind of the conversation, leaning forward as she spoke. Izuku tensed up a bit, his eyes bugging out of his skull for a second.

"Ah?! Hi?! Asui-chan?" he stammered out, though Tsuyu paid him no heed. "Call me Tsuyu-chan." She stared at him for a moment with her wide eyes, and he seemed to cower slightly under her gaze.

"Your quirk reminds me of All Might's." I took note of the moment his soul figurately left his body, his frame tensing up. You could practically smell his nervousness, and I made a mental note to not tell him any important secrets.

"Except, he injures himself just by flexing. All Might-sensei is almost invulnerable." I reminded her, Kirishima nodding in agreement.

"Yeah, maybe if he didn't kill himself every time he used it! I'm kind of jealous though! Those types of quirks are super flashy! And you can do so much with them!" he sighed, looking up at the ceiling.

"You want to hurt yourself every time you flex? How will you show everybody your manliness then?" I deadpanned, Kirishima's eyes widening for a moment before glancing down at his arms. He flexed, hardening the muscles with a grin.

"I mean, no I don't want that. But look at my quirk! My 'hardening' is cool, but it's not really flashy. Not like Midoriya-kun's. Or yours!" He added thoughtfully, and I cocked an eyebrow.

"Super flashy quirks usually have really unfun drawbacks. If I use Ice too much, my body freezes. If I use Fire too much, I can overheat and pass out. I can use them both together, but they weaken each other. Yours might not be flashy, but it doesn't have a strong weakness. I'd take that any day." I added with a smile, earning a few nods of agreement.

"She's right! And I think it's a really awesome quirk too! It'll definitely be useful for a pro!" Izuku added in, and we both exchanged smiles. Kirishima's grin couldn't grow any wider under the praise, and I silently hoped he wouldn't gain an ego like Katsuki. That would be disastrous.

"Yeah, but heroics is a popularity contest too you know! Flashy quirks will make you stand out in front of agencies, and you need that to really get started!" Ashido chimed in, and Aoyama sighed beside her.

"My naval cannon is super flashy and strong enough for pro, but it'd be bad if your stomach collapsed." He sighed, looking a bit dejected.

"Maybe you should take some pills with you for your stomachaches? Stronger ones in particular? And you can take some things before you go out for the day. I know Uraraka-chan's costume is designed to help with headaches." I suggested, and the sparkly boy nodded.

"Maybe. But you have to remember the side effects of some stuff. I'm hoping I'll get more resistant using it more." I shrugged, unsure of how to help him really. He had one of those quirks that was really odd. I had always found it bad in that it didn't leave a lot of room for mobility. He would likely have to compensate for that with suit upgrades, but his need for a flashy design made that almost impossible. It was moments like this that reminded me of the conversation I had with Aizawa yesterday. Everybody saw it as a game, but it really wasn't. It was a shame.

"If we're talking double whammy of flashy and strong, you can't not mention Todoroki-kun and Bakugou-kun!" Kirishima eventually chimed, and everybody glanced towards the back end of the bus. Shoto had sat himself at the very back away from everybody, but Katsuki had at least tried to fit himself in. Maybe he had taken Iida's seating chart to heart, which was kind of amusing.

"Does that include me too?" I inquired, and the red-haired boy gave me two thumbs up.

"Don't you guys share a quirk? You're one in the same, so yeah! You're really awesome too, Homura-chan!" I flushed a bit, not expecting the intense sincerity. Maybe I had been hanging around Katsuki too much, but I was unused to praise and kindness being thrown around so easily. I had been at Yuuei for a while now, but it still somehow shocked me.

Katsuki had been leaning against the windowsill for a while now, his eyes glancing at the passing cars. His eyes darted to us for a brief moment, and he simply curled his upper lip in disgust briefly before looking out the window again.

"Bakugou-kun is always fuming though, so he won't be very popular." Tsuyu pointed out, and I winced preemptively. The explosive teenager instantly reacted, nearly knocking Jiro out of the seat in the process as he suddenly stood up.

"YOU BITCH! I'LL BE POPULAR TOO!" he snapped, fuming. Everybody started giggling at the aggressiveness, and I joined in as well while Tsuyu pointed at him with her large hand.

"See?" I briefly wondered if it was safe to stand up in the bus while it was moving, watching Katsuki sway a bit. He didn't seem to mind, though he gripped the seat just a little tighter. Jiro hung off the seat slightly, looking exasperated.

"It's only been a while since our socialization commenced and yet we have already been made apodictically cognizant of your personality, redolent as it is of a turd getting steamed in a sewer." Kaminari grinned as he spoke, confusing everybody in the process. I had been given the impression he wasn't academically smart. Maybe he practiced those lines?

"Huh?! What the hell kind of language is that?! I'll fucking kill you!" his body trembled, and for a second I assumed he was just going to take the teasing honorably. Of course, it was Katsuki of all people. He suddenly lunged forward at Kaminari and everybody shrieked, throwing themselves out of their seats in response. Iida had a heart attack, waving his arms to restore order to the bus.

"Sit in your seats! This is a dangerous violation of the safety laws!" he shouted, firmly in his seat while everybody else lunged from their seats. Katsuki made a grab at Kaminari, who ducked underneath and dashed to the very back of the bus. Ashido had hopped out of her seat, blocking Katsuki from following Kaminari as he made his escape towards the back. I had jumped out of my seat as well, only to fall forward from the movement of the bus. Tsuyu had tried to catch me with her tongue, but I ended up bring her down with me. The only people who had stayed in their seats were Izuku, Aoyama, and Iida – Kirishima had gotten out of his own to help Tsuyu and I to our feet.

"Uraraka-chan, hit me!" Kaminari shouted when he reached her, the girl almost dying from laughter. She reached out over Yaoyorozu, who seemed distraught at the childish display, and touched his hand. He immediately floated to the top of the bus, clinging to the ceiling as Katsuki slowly made his way towards him.

"What a vulgar conversation! And so childish!" Yaoyorozu grimaced while Uraraka wheezed beside her. She seemed to struggle a bit keeping Kaminari afloat, but I wasn't sure if it was because she was laughing too hard or her sickness.

"Run away Kaminari-kun! Run!" I shouted as I was helped to my feet, giving a brief nod towards Kirishima.

"Thanks, ribbit!" Tsuyu croaked, carefully hopping back in to her seat. I carefully threw myself back down as well, watching the exchange between the two rowdy boys. Katsuki had successfully made it past Ashido, trying to reach for the boy crawling across the ceiling.

"Oh my god, Kacchan…" Izuku managed to stutter, his eyes wide with disbelief. I reached over and patted him on the back, laughing hard.

"He'll be fine, you should worry about Kaminari-kun actually." I stared at the electric boy as he crawled across the ceiling, dodging Katsuki's many attempts. Uraraka seemed to be struggling a bit, her eyes closed as she tried to keep the boy afloat. She was doing great, but at some point, she would have to let go.

"W-what a disgrace!" Iida just about cried, his head in his hands as he tried to ignore the silly display. Kirishima had migrated from helping in the front to trying to calm down Katsuki, though he was laughing himself. Katsuki looked downright pissed, snarling and hissing like some rabid animal as he fought off Kirishima's attempts to restrain him. It wasn't until something let out a popping noise and a sleeping bag fell from the ceiling that we all paused, Uraraka gasping from the back as she finally let go. Kaminari blinked, suddenly falling right on top of Kirishima and Katsuki.

"We're almost there. Settle down already…" Aizawa spoke wearily, glaring at everybody. We all exchanged looks before laughing once more, the three boys carefully untangling themselves.

"You fucking idiots, I'm gonna fucking kill you all!" Katsuki snarled, though his intimidation attempts were met with snickering.

"Damn Bakugou-kun, you are one foul-mouthed dude!" Kirishima snickered, flopping down in his seat once he had freed himself from the impromptu dog pile. Kaminari wiggled his way to freedom as well, looking exhausted as he threw himself down and leaned his head back. Katsuki had clambered back over the rail in to his seat again, Jiro closing her eyes as she leaned off the seat once more. I pitied the girl.

Aizawa slowly climbed out of his sleeping bag once it became apparent we had the maturity of a bunch of elementary students. He slowly lowered himself in one of the seats at the very front, his eyes flashing red slightly as a warning. We all sobered down pretty fast, though there were a few snickers exchanged here and there. Everyone behaved for the rest of the ride, excluding a few aggressive exchanges between Katsuki and others. I had almost forgotten what was in store for us. It wasn't until we arrived, everybody clambering out of the bus chattering excitedly that I remember.

"This is a practical training area I created to stimulate all kinds of accidents and disasters, and its name is the ultimate space for jams!"

I swallowed. It was time for the gauntlet of the U.S.J.

* * *

A/N: I got a little silly towards the end there, but I think every story needs a bit of humor. This was a really fun and interesting chapter to write - and definitely the longest one to date! I hope you guys love it as much as I do! The next chapter will probably be super long too! I'm so excited to round up this arc! I've got so many plans!

Also dadzawa for the win?

Thank you guys so much for your kind reviews, critique, suggestions etc! It makes me smile every time I see another review or view! I'd write anyways, but it definitely boosts my confidence to get so much wonderful feedback between you and my beta reader! You guys are amazing! Thank you!


	14. Change

**A/N: Phew, sorry for the wait guys. This was a really action-packed chapter! It jumped around a ton, so my beta wanted to make sure it was golden. I may or may not be good at writing fight scenes.**

 **Maetrix - Dadzawa is the best dad anybody could want. Oh trust me, I think I got you covered. Yeah, tbh I feel in love with my version of him. He's definitely going to be around a lot. He's a blast to write.**

 **skidney - Thank you!**

 **Iamthebestwriter- haha, well that is what angst is. Rest assured, I've got it covered! I've never seen Tokyo Ghoul myself tbh. I've heard about it, but I'm really picky about what I get in to lol. Trust me, I'm thinking about the plot so much when I'm at work. What do I want to do? Where do I want to take it? Would this be a good twist? I this too much?**

 **Yeah its really tense right now. They're both trying hard to not let it blow, but I've got that covered. You'll have to read and see what happens!**

 **Guest - PFFFT basically. Endeavor is fire lord ozai.**

 **Maester Ta- You'll have to read to find out!**

 **Paperworld - oh my god, yes lol. Thats because they're all the best dads. Amazing dads. I'm hesitant to add mom to midnight though all things considered...maybe Aunt. lololol.**

 **I tried to keep it realistic. It's really hard to make it dramatic, but not have it overblown. I could have easily gone all the way some times, but I try to rein it in. I've rewritten scenes many times because of this. And yeah, tbh I'm terrible at small typoes. Thank god for my beta lol.**

 **Thanks for the reviews guys, sorry for the wait, and I hope you enjoy! As always, thank my beta Wakacchi!**

* * *

I couldn't focus on all the useless squealing around me as I stared at the impressive stadium in front of me, imaging where I might end up during the chaos. If I was lucky, I would stick with Shoto and we would easily take care of the thugs sent for us. If I was unlucky, I'd end up in the flood area where my Fire was weakest. I might even end up staying right here, where I might be able to assist Aizawa. Could I even be of any use here? Would I freeze up like before, letting myself get injured because of my inaction? It was a daunting thought, and I stood stiff and frozen as Thirteen continued with his introduction.

"Homura-chan, are you okay?" Kirishima frowned, his head tilting slightly as he noticed my unusual quietness. I had been rambunctious and energetic in the bus, so it didn't surprise me that he caught on to my silence. I nodded slowly, my eyes glued to the spot where everything would begin. I wanted to pay attention, I really did, but knowing what was about to happen prevented me from doing so.

"I'm fine. Just thinking." I mumbled, and Kirishima's frown deepened. He placed a hand on my shoulder before carefully turning me around to face him.

"You don't look so good. Are you sick? Did that ride on the bus make you all nauseous? Hey, Aizawa-sensei!" Kirishima shouted, causing a few of the others to exchange confused looks. Shoto, who had been leaning against a railing overlooking he plaza, turned his head sharply. He frowned, but remained where he stood.

"What's wrong?" Aizawa made his way through the group of whispering students, and when I looked up I saw his face bloodied and broken. I recoiled back almost immediately, my eyes quickly darting back to that same spot to avoid looking again. I saw the flicker of black, and my heart lurched.

"Hey, what's that over there?" Ashido called out, leaning over the railing Shoto had occupied earlier. Aizawa's head slowly turned around, and his eyes widened as the speck of black began to expand rapidly.

"That's that fucking villain!" Katsuki snarled, clenching his fists and narrowing his eyes dangerously as those familiar eerie yellow eyes came in to existence. Aizawa suddenly dashed ahead of everybody, holding his arms out to keep anybody from advancing.

"Huddle together and don't move!" he shouted, and confusion turned to panic as everybody seemed to slowly understand what was going on. "Thirteen, protect the students!"

"What is that?! Is this like the training pattern at the exam?" Kirishima frowned, not quite catching on as fast. I didn't say anything, keeping my mouth firmly shut.

"Don't move! Those are villains!" Aizawa snapped at us, sliding his goggles in to place as he switched in to a defensive stance.

"Eraserhead and Thirteen…. according to the teacher's curriculum we procured yesterday, All Might-san was supposed to be here. And yet…" Kurogiri caught sight of Katsuki first, his eyes widening slightly before scanning the group of students. We locked gazes, and I swallowed hard. "Maybe you two have something to do with it? I should have taken you after all…"

"I knew it. Yesterday was your lout's doing…" Aizawa muttered, his attention focused on the massive group of villains.

"You know them…? Is that what happened to your face?" Kirishima whispered urgently, eyes wide as he looked at me.

"…Yes." I finally managed quietly, tearing my gaze away from the villains to find Katsuki staring back. He seemed strangely serious for once, his usual unnecessary anger cooled for the time being. I wanted to assume he was thinking along the same lines as I was. We could have prevented this.

"This is what Aizawa-sensei wanted you to keep quiet. I understand." Shoto muttered, staring down the slowly increasing group of villains. They seemed endless, bearing quirks of all kinds that could easily tear us apart if we weren't careful.

"Where is he…we went through all this trouble…and rustled so many of us to bring along. You can't tell me that the symbol of peace is not here." The man covered in hands mumbled, clearly distressed. He tilted his head to the side, before trembling a bit. "I wonder if he'll show up if we kill the kids?"

There seemed to be a collective flinch among the students, and everybody recoiled a bit at the intensity of the words. Or maybe it was the slowly increasing number of villains streaming out of the warp gate, well beyond our collective capabilities. It was clear we were outmatched, Pro heroes or not.

"Sensei! What about the intruder alarm sensors...?!" Yaoyorozu glanced at Thirteen, who nodded carefully. It was hard to tell what her was thinking with his mask, but he seemed oddly calm for the situation. It was strange, and I couldn't help but relax at the sight. They knew something. There was something in our favor and while we didn't know what, Aizawa and Thirteen did.

"We have some set up yes, but they aren't working." Thirteen confirmed, his voice devoid of any panic one might expect. I didn't seem to be the only one suspicious either, as Katsuki observed the Pro hero with a bit of subdued bewilderment.

"Is this the only campus they've infiltrated or are the others under attack too...?" Shoto muttered, leaning forward against the railing as he observed the villains. He was completely calm, and I was a bit envious at his obvious strong will. I had known about this before it even began, and I was trembling. He had no information, and he stood there unaffected by it all.

"At any rate, if the sensors aren't working, they must have one amongst their number whose quirk can do that!" he mused, and I let out the breath I hadn't been aware I was holding.

"Can Kaminari-kun use his quirk to contact the main school?" I inquired, glancing back at the half-panicked boy. He blinked before shutting his eyes, obviously focusing. He shook his head after a moment, grimacing.

"I can't! Somethings blocking my quirk! We have to find whosevers out there first!" he called out, and I sighed. I knew it wouldn't be easy, even if everything felt different.

"Thirteen, do the evacuation procedure. And try to find a way to contact the school. There's more than we expected, we're going to need back-up!" Aizawa ordered, and I blinked. They knew. They knew this was happening and we had still come out here? Were we bait? I couldn't help but scowl a bit, hoping my assumption was false.

"Did you know they were coming?" Shoto asked sharply, turning his attention on Thirteen. The Pro hero seemed quiet for a moment, considering.

"Sort of. We had a feeling something was going to happen, but we didn't know to what extent. The tip we had was a bit vague." He must have been talking about Katsuki and my encounter. It was sort of relieving to know that I had done something. I had helped in a way, even if I didn't know how. If this was planned, then they had to have some sort of back-up here already. The question was where?

"Sensei?! Are you fighting them alone?" Izuku's concern broke through my temporary haze, and I gaped at our Sensei. He couldn't be serious!

"You can't fight them alone! That's way too many, even for a Pro." I balked at the idea, and Kirishima seemed to agree with me. "Sensei, let us help! We're training to be heroes too!" he demanded, clenching his fists. Aizawa held out a hand to hold us back, glancing behind us.

"Don't worry, a hero always has more than one trick up his sleeves. You focus on evacuating. We'll handle this." Just like that, there was movement around our group of students. For a moment I assumed it was Kurogiri, and I immediately brought my fire around like a barrier. It was a bit shorter than I intended, but it made my intentions very clear. I blinked before gasping, caught off guard.

"Oh, oh that's hot! Homura-san, listeners we've come to help!" Present Mic jumped back a bit from the circle of fire surrounding everybody, holding his hands up with a grin.

"Unfortunately, we didn't expect this many! Has anybody been in contact with the school?" Cementoss appeared next, his body forming out from the concrete we stood on.

"If we'd been able ta contact 'em, I'm sure they would've already. We're on our own for now." Snipe spoke gravely, twirling a gun idly in his hands. He looked over the group of students carefully, checking for injuries before turning his attention back to the villains.

"Where did you guys even come from?" Kaminari blinked, staring at the heroes who had not been there before a few seconds ago. I had only heard a small rumbling noise before they suddenly surrounded us. I didn't even know.

"I hid us in the foundation beneath your feet. We had hoped that maybe their target was at Yuuei, but clearly that's not the case. What could they possibly want…?" Cementoss graced us with an answer, his eyes narrowing slightly as he looked over the villains. On the other end, Shigaraki fidgeted nervously at the appearance of heroes.

"Heroes…I hate heroes. They're already here…how did they know?"Shigaraki spit out angrily, scratching the base of his neck nervously. The other villains seemed a little less confident than they had walking in, but remained firm as they stood their ground.

"I apologize, unfortunately I made an error in judgement leaving those two students when I infiltrated the staff room. I will not make that same mistake again." Kurogiri's eyes seemed to glint dangerously, and I felt myself take a step back. Katsuki simply bristled, smirking wildly and cracking his knuckles. He seemed to openly accept the light challenge, and I wasn't sure where his confidence came from. Even with the heroes on our side, we were still outnumbered. Maybe it wasn't confidence. Maybe it was just bloodlust.

Aizawa didn't wait for any other exchanges, throwing himself forward. The cloth around his neck unraveled, tangling between his fingers as he expertly thrust it outwards. Various villains appeared to scoff at his presumably insane confidence, only to be taken down within seconds. Seeing it in person was incredible - Aizawa was good.

"I'll give 'em cover fire. Get the students to safety." Snipe didn't move forward, instead taking shots from behind the cover conveniently created by Cementoss. Said hero gestured for the students to follow while Present Mic ran forward to intercept any stragglers that made it past Aizawa.

"Safety? Let us fight, we can handle these shit stains any day!" Katsuki snapped, letting a small explosion out of his fist as emphasis.

"Yeah, we can help you guys too! That's a lot of villains!" Kirshima added on, and I grimaced. I didn't want to fight, but with this many villains we really had no choice. Especially once Kurogiri intercepted everybody.

"No, everybody needs to follow me. I'll lead you out of here, so we can put them down." Thirteen ignored the passionate requests, much to Kirishima's disappointment and Katsuki's anger. Everybody else seemed keen on leaving, however, and we all backed up towards the entrance. Kirishima pulled me along, and I quickly followed behind as we made a break for the door.

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that." That familiar, damning black fog slowly encircled the group of students. It billowed out in a circle, promising terrible things to those who tried to cross outside it's boundaries. Kurogiri's eyes roamed over all of us, lingering on me before snapping over to Katsuki.

"Greetings, we are the villain alliance. I apologize for the presumption, but we took it upon ourselves to enter Yuuei academy, the base of heroes." He was polite, and it blew my mind. I honestly considered him one of the more unstable villains solely because of how he addressed everybody. You couldn't be stable if you were so calm and courteous to those you were about to kill.

"In order to engage with All Might-san, the 'symbol of peace'" Izuku stiffened at the blatant explanation, narrowing his eyes.

"You..you're trying to kill All Might-sensei?" He grit his teeth, taking a step forward. It was a remarkable change from how he used to be, but this was not the time to suddenly become brave.

"Izuku-kun, don't!" I hissed, pulling away from Kirishima and running to him. Kurogiri's eyes followed me as I moved, and I did my best to ignore him.

"You understand very well. We wish to extinguish him. But he's not here. Has something changed?" We locked gazes, and I flinched. "Or did someone interfere?"

His whole body shifted, and the black fog seemed to raise up in the air slightly. Everybody looked around wildly, slowly sliding in to defensive stances to try and defend themselves. Mineta was the only one close to tears, but most of us were equally as nervous. Kirishima and Katsuki were the only ones who seemed ready to brawl. Even Thirteen looked hesitant, his glove popping open as he began to activate his quirk.

"This is my role." It was ominous, but it meant nothing to Katsuki and Kirishima as they suddenly lunged for the swirling black mass. Kurogiri didn't even flinch, the fog suddenly expanding and encircling half of us rapidly. Kirishima and Katsuki were both swallowed up hole, much to everybody's shock. Even I couldn't believe my eyes, considering that was not what had happened originally. They should have stopped him for a second, and yet they were countered instantly. Maybe it had something to do with knowing Katsuki's quirk? Kirishima just happened to be caught in the crossfire as well.

"Kirishima-kun, Bakugou-kun!" Uraraka gasped, covering her mouth. She looked as though she wanted to move forward, but with the rapidly expanding fog nobody was really in the position to do anything.

"Such power…just as expected from the world's 'golden eggs'." Kurogiri mused as his fog opened up multiple portals left and right. "You will be scattered. And tortured. And slain." His voice sounded almost distorted as various portals opened underneath people, and it was suffocating. Everybody was screaming, and I caught sight of Thirteen trying to help people escape from the portals. I caught sight of Shoto, who locked gazes with me from the other side. He reached out for me on instinct, even though we were clearly too far away. I couldn't hear what he shouted, his form swallowed almost instantaneously as he fell. The ground gave way underneath me, and I was falling.

"You however…I believe Shigaraki-san would like to have a word with you." I was swallowed up by darkness, and when I was able to see again, I found myself face down in the class="Apple-converted-space" /span

Four fingers held me by the base of my neck, with the fifth hovering a few inches above.

"You…. it's your fault. You ruined everything…"

* * *

It was laughable really, how little thought was put in to this bizarre plan of theirs. If they had done any research, they might have known that throwing a mass of barely educated, subpar villains at Shoto would mean absolutely nothing. They had to have known about him, since apparently, they knew Homura. It was obvious it was what she had been hiding before, and he could understand her reasons. He had been furious to see what had been done to her face, but it was expected if villains were involved. Still, he couldn't really keep a hold of his anger as he walked forward and surveyed his work.

"That fucker…! The second I can move…is he really just a kid?! Ow, ow OW!" They were like grown children themselves, howling from both the pain and humiliation at being frozen solid in one solid move. Their bodies trembled from the cold, and Shoto could only frown slightly as he walked towards them.

"At this rate, you guys will gradually succumb to death by necrosis…" he met their fearful gazes, unflinching as he spoke. The reality was he really couldn't unfreeze them. Not without Homura, and she was no longer by his side. He couldn't reach out for the Fire even if he wanted to, so he did his best to try to act as though he wasn't about to be responsible for the deaths of so many if help didn't come fast enough.

"I'm aiming to become the top hero. I want to avoid doing horrible shit like that as much as I can. But, you have a problem." He stood in front of one of the frozen villains, unfazed by the growl from the goon he faced.

"Y-you…you fucker!" he hissed, and Shoto merely rolled his eyes. "I'll f-fucking kill you when I get out…"

"You won't be getting out. I can't help you. Not without likely shattering your limbs off in the process. But you can help yourselves and me!" Shoto continued, walking past the first guy until he stood in the middle of everyone. The air seemed to drop a few degrees lower, and everybody shivered.

"First, what's the basis of your plan to kill All Might." Shoto took a deep breath. "And second, if you want to save your own skins, you'll tell me where my sister is." There was a fearful silence that followed, the frozen villains exchanging nervous looks.

"Given your previous wounds on your skin, I'd say the Necrosis won't take too long to settle in. I can't help you if you don't help me." Shoto reminded them, and one guy finally squealed.

"W-wait, we can come to an agreement, yeah? W-we just wanted our lives to be easier! That mist guy and his boss approached a bunch of us. We were tired of All Might and those damn heroes making everything harder! If he just died, then we could commit crimes easier!" he confessed quickly, gulping hard as he felt his body temperature slowly lowering. Everything hurt, and the longer he stayed like this, the less chance he had to live. This wasn't worth it for any of them. Shoto seemed to weigh his response before sighing, glancing back at the center of the U.S.J.

"Useless information. You didn't mention anything about their actual plan. Or do you even know? Once I'm far enough away, the ice will naturally crumble. I wish I didn't have to leave you like this, but unless I have my sister back, there's nothing I can do. Hopefully this won't kill you." Shoto spoke truthfully, regret tinging his words as he turned on his heel.

"W-wait, you can't leave us like this! Please!" He ignored their pleas and the uneasy feeling in his stomach.

He knew the others had to have been warped all over the U.S.J, but his best bet was to reach the middle for now. He ran forward through the landslide area, using ice to maneuver his way through difficult points.

At the sound of movement behind him though, he brought his hand up in a rapid movement and sent a wall of ice flying backwards. There was a screech that followed soon after, and when he looked closer, he caught sight of floating gloves scrambling for cover.

"Whoa, whoa Todoroki-kun! It's me! It's me! Hagakure-chan!" Hagakure held her hands up, having narrowly avoided Shoto's ice. She looked like she was shivering, but considering it was only her gloves visible, it was hard to tell. Shoto relaxed from his battle stance regardless, though he kept his guard up just in case.

"Sorry, I didn't see you. Were you here this whole time?" Shoto apologized, keeping his gaze averted. He was still very aware of her costume and decided it was in his best interest to try not too think too hard about it.

"Yes! I saw what you did to those villains, that was incredible! You were so powerful!" She punched the air rapidly a few times, apparently getting to her feet. "I hope everybody else is okay too!" She clutched her hands together worriedly.

"The only way to find out is to get out of here. Over across the way a bit of debris spills out in to the landslide zone. We might find somebody else there too." Shoto peered across the way, before nodding his head slightly and trekking through the rubble. Hagakure followed along behind him, her gloves floating about.

"Why not just head over to the wall over there? We can go right to the central plaza where Aizawa-sensei is fighting? We have to help him!" she clenched her fists, and Shoto sighed.

"It's too dangerous to have you walk on my ice like that." She seemed to rub her chin at the comment before clapping her hands together.

"Well you can carry me, right? You have to be super strong, and I'm not that heavy so it should be a breeze!" The moment she looked as though she was going to prove her point, Shoto suddenly dashed forward. He put a little distance between them before stopping, keeping his back towards her while she ran to catch up.

"What? What's wrong, why don't you want to do that?" He just shook his head, staring intently ahead as he began trudging through the rubble again. Hagakure sighed, grumbling a bit as she followed suit. Shoto did his best to not think about how uncomfortable that situation would be, and found himself sighing in relief when they reached the edge of the zone. He was glad that he had looked over the entire facility earlier, because he wouldn't have noticed the slight spill over otherwise. It looked a bit difficult to climb, but with his Ice scaling it would be easy. He was a little concerned for Hagakure though.

"This doesn't look all that safe you know." She pointed out, prodding at the barely stable pile of rocks and dirt. Shoto gripped a nearby rock, pulling on it slightly. It seemed stable enough, though he wasn't sure how physically strong she was. He really hoped she could help herself.

"Can you climb it without help?" she rubbed her hands together in response, using her gloved hands to pull her body up. He assumed so anyways, as bits of rock were displaced from where he thought her feet were.

"Uuum, yeah yeah! I got it! Don't worry about me! You're a lot better at the fighting, so you should go ahead! I'll meet you back at the plaza!" she assured him, and Shoto hesitated for a split second before nodding. He opened his palms, facing them downward and allowing the ice to form beneath him and launch him upward. He knelt against the cold platform as he shot up, carefully making his way on to the top of the pile once he was high enough.

The ruins zone was, just as expected, a completely trash pile. The buildings were demolished and crumbled, with bits of debris falling off occasionally. Glass shards poked out from the ground, and Shoto had to move carefully to avoid cutting himself. It didn't help that in the distance he could hear explosions, and he knew exactly who had been dropped here.

"I'm always calm, you fucking hair-for-brains!" Katsuki's trademark, unwarranted rage blasted out form one of the many buildings. Shoto tensed up a bit, preparing for an attack when he approached one of the many broken windows. As if on cue, an explosion burst out and he had to duck to avoid being hit. Two figures suddenly hopped out through the window, and Shoto immediately brought his ice up to block another explosion. The ice cracked underneath the pressure, but it held firm, and it wasn't until he heard another familiar voice that he relaxed his guard.

"Whoa, whoa wait a second! That's Todoroki-kun!" Kirishima exclaimed, eyes wide as he stared at the other boy. Both of his hands were hardened to spear, and he was hunched over as if expecting to have to lunge. He looked a little dirtier than normal, but otherwise unharmed. Beside him, Katsuki observed Shoto before scowling, relaxing a little as well.

"Fucking hell, maybe announce yourself dumbass. I've got better things to do than waste my time playing games. I've got a fucking warp gate fucker to crush." He snarled, turning his back on the other two as he stalked forward towards the edge of the zone.

"Wait, shouldn't we head for the central plaza? We have to help Aizawa-sensei!" Kirishima called out to the retreating boy, Katsuki pausing for a moment.

"He's right. We don't get out of this mess if Sensei is taken down. The other pros should be there as well. We need to work with them." Shoto added in his two cents and Katsuki trembled slightly.

"Alright you listen to me! We take that fucker out, and they don't have any means of escape. Then we can fucking kill them as many times as we'd like. That warp fucker has to go first!" Katsuki snapped, and while his attitude left much to be desired, he had a point. Shoto and Kirishima exchanged looks, the red-headed boy grinning.

"Right behind ya then! I believe in my buddies…and you're starting to sound real manly Bakugou-kun! I'm with you now!" He cracked his knuckles, his body hardening slightly at the prospect of a battle. Shoto frowned, glancing around the zone.

"You have a point, but we should still head for the central plaza anyways. We have to go through there to get to the stairs anyways. I think we'll find our enemy there regardless." Kirishima nodded in response while Katsuki seemed to grudgingly accept his suggestion.

"Then lets fucking move! They're not going to wait all day for us!" Katsuki barked, stomping off towards the edge closest to the plaza. Kirishima and Shoto followed behind, and soon the trio of boys were running as fast as they could. The moment they reached the edge, Shoto formed another platform beneath them. It shot up fast, and they all braced themselves as they were thrown up a bit over the wall. Shoto rolled a bit when he landed, grunting. The other two hit the ground a little rough as well, slowly gaining their bearings as they stood up. Shoto looked around, and to his horror, caught sight of Homura in the middle of everything.

* * *

Time stood still, and for a moment I thought I was blacking out. The sudden change in environment had disorientated me, and going from standing up to lying face down on the ground was incredibly disorientating. I could clearly see Aizawa dancing through the crowd of villains, his cloth knocking villains off their feet as they tried to mob him. Snipe stood by the entrance still, occasionally ducking behind the concrete barrier formed by Cementoss as he tried to keep most of the villains at bay. Present Mic stood guard at the stairs, blasting away villains who thought to gang up on the students who remained at the entrance. Cementoss himself had corralled the remaining students in to a barrier, assisting Thirteen in combatting Kurogiri. Nobody had even noticed my sudden appearance by Shigaraki, and I barely understood what was happening until I felt his hand on my throat.

"If we were just any villains…. we would have lost already. Are there any more of you hiding out there…? I wonder if they'll show themselves if I make you squeal…" he muttered, his fifth digit hovering dangerously over my skin. I tensed up, holding my breath carefully as I tried to think my way out of this. I could ignite my fire and trying to force him away, but if his reaction time was good, he'd get a full grasp on my neck before the fire even touched him. It wouldn't take him long to kill me like that.

Surprisingly, he released me after a few seconds, and something snaked itself around my arm and yanked me forward. I didn't get a good look at what was going on, but I knew better than to just let myself be dragged around. Fire ignited at the top of my shoulders, and soon I was blasting my way out of the confusion and towards the edge. Aizawa's cloth, which had apparently yanked me out of danger, was yanked off my leg to allow me to scramble to my feet.

"Homura-san, don't let your guard down. You have permission to defend yourself!" Aizawa shouted through the crowd, his eyes locked on Shigaraki as he lunged for the man. I couldn't focus on their fight though, not with my fire attracting the attention of the villains surrounding us.

I was terrified and unsure of myself, but my will to live override any insecurities and I found our fire igniting before I could even think about it. The nearest villain lunged at me, his larger form trying to knock me to the ground. I easily sidestepped him, and I found he was leagues slower than I was when I grabbed his arm and yanked back. My fire crept up down my arm and on to his, and soon he was screaming as he hit the ground. I quickly slid my goggles up over my eyes, fire igniting down both my arms as I rushed the next attacking villain, dispatching him easily with a few well aimed kicks. Anytime I grabbed somebody with my hands, fire would engulf whatever body part I touched. It was a revolting and disturbing smell, and I soon was forced to adjust my bandanna over my face instead of on my head.

Adrenaline coursed through my veins as I moved, and I had nearly forgotten about my surroundings until I heard Aizawa's cry. My eyes darted from the woman in front of me as I dug my fist in to her stomach, her eyes watering as she fell backwards from the force. Blood splattered across the ground as Aizawa's arm dangled awkwardly, something clearly broken. It wasn't just broken, as the skin over the area had rotted away almost as soon as Shigaraki's full hand had enclosed on it.

"Aizawa-sensei!" I cried out, eyes wide with panic as I turned to aide him. I couldn't just leave him like that, not when that thing was going to arrive soon. I darted through the crowd, ducking and sidestepping everything thrown my way. Snipe seemed to catch on to me intentions, firing at any villain that tried to stop my approach.

"That quirk of yours…isn't it unsuited for fighting masses for long periods? Isn't this far removed from your typical work? Isn't your actual specialty short-length sneak attacks?" Shigaraki held his arms outstretched, watching as other villains began to lunge for Aizawa once more. He barely flinched, ignoring the pain from his wound as he wrapped his cloth around the approaching villains, knocking them off their feet repeatedly. I pushed my legs harder, knowing one wrong move would get us both killed. Even with Snipe providing aide, if I miss-stepped I wouldn't reach him in time.

"Sensei!" I breathed as I slid in to the crowd, my fire whipping out at the villains around us. It was hard to control it around Aizawa, but he easily adjusted his style to accommodate my clumsiness.

"Homura-san, why didn't you head towards the other students? This is no place for you!" Aizawa gritted out, not sparing me a glance as he sent his fist in to a man's stomach, following up with a kick once he had dazed them. He kept his back to me as he worked, forcing me to defend from my side with my fire. I brought a thin whip of flame around us, trying to give us a little defense as we fought off the horde.

It occurred to me that I was hindering him slightly, since he couldn't turn in my direction without the possibility of accidentally erasing our quirk. That was something neither of us could afford, and I felt momentarily guilty. I didn't waste time on that thought though, ducking a bit to avoid an attempted grab.

"Sensei, I can't run away like this. I think we need to back up! We're too close to that gate!" I urged, never taking my gaze away from Shigaraki. He eyed me back, his fists clenched as he watched the two of us easily dispatching his lackeys. Aizawa didn't respond, so I continued my explanation.

"That gate guy told us they were here to kill All Might-sensei! None of them look like they can really do it, but they came all this way! They must have someone who can, and I'd bet anything on him coming out of that gate! If he can kill All Might-sensei, then he can kill you too!" I shouted as I was forced to back away for Aizawa, dodging a few shots from a villain aiming from afar. I hit the ground when I stumbled back, and I had to roll out of the way as someone brought an axe down where I was. I couldn't tell if Aizawa had heard me or not, but he seemed to slowly make his way away from the gate. That was good. If he could get some distance –

"Oh, by the way hero, I'm not 'the favorite' here." My eyes widened, my thoughts crashing to a halt as I felt the ground tremble underneath me. Shigaraki's voice alerted me to the problem, but nothing could truly prepare me for looking up from where I sat. I swallowed hard as a shadow overtook me, turning my head around slowly.

He was massive and repulsive, the stench emitting from his form enough to cause me to gag. He looked fit to snap mountains in half with a mere touch, his hands slowly hovering over me. His eyes remained unblinking, and his weird beak-like mouth consistently open and drooling slightly. Noumu was a monster, and I was caught underneath.

"The reason you jumped into open battle like this…was it to give your students some peace of mind? It won't matter…if they're dead." Shigaraki let out an eerie laugh, his gaze locking on to the hulking creature. Noumu remained still for a moment, and I took the opportunity to try and crawl away. In an instant, I felt Noumu's large hand crush my leg underneath his foot and I bit back a scream.

It hurt. It hurt so bad, and it was horrifying to hear the snapping underneath his foot. My eyes widened, and I covered my mouth, turning my head around slowly. Noumu's mouth opened and he let out some odd animalistic screech, keeping his foot firmly in place. I couldn't just sit here and let this happen. Fire flared to life, shooting down my lower body and climbing on to his arm. He didn't so much as flinch, and I knew right then and there I was way out of my zone.

I had thought that maybe, just maybe, I could be like Endeavor when he fought off several Noumu's at one point. I had his fire and blood, so it should have been possible. It was stupid of me to think I had a chance so early in my training, and I felt my blood run cold when my arm was suddenly crushed in his grip as well. I flinched and thrashed about, trying to free myself. There was a moment of relief when my leg was released, though the fear crept right back when I was suddenly hoisted in the air.

I could hear Snipe's shots ricocheting off Noumu's body, landing on the ground uselessly as the monster paid them no heed. I was even aware of Aizawa's cloth lashing out, spinning around and trying to yank Noumu's arms downwards to free me. They didn't even budge. Present Mic blasted at the creature as well, but all it did was almost make my ears almost bleed from the volume.

Noumu tilted his head slightly, as if listening to someone before his free arm suddenly moved. I was dimly aware of yet another snapping noise as his fist buried itself in my stomach, and suddenly I was flying. He had let go of me for some reason, so instead of being smashed to bits, I flew across the field rapidly. I saw stars, my head spinning from the intense pain of taking an All Might worthy punch to the gut.

"Homura-chan!" Izuku's voice suddenly broke through the buzzing in my head, and I felt Tsuyu's tongue suddenly snake itself around me waist. I hadn't been aware we were so close to the water, but I only felt relief as she yanked on my limp body. My body's course was forcibly adjusted, and instead of slamming in to the hard concrete, I was deposited in the water with a loud splash. I sunk for a few seconds before I was hoisted up by someone, leaning against them for support.

"Holy shit, Homura-chan! What is that?!" Izuku squawked while Tsuyu supported me with her arms, my eyes unfocused as I tried to stay awake. I didn't want to miss anything that happened, hoping that somehow everybody else would make it through unharmed. Fire was effectively useless now that I was soaked, so I was permanently sidelined. Of course, that was if you forgot about the insane hit I just took.

"Dunno…how…am I not…dead?" I eventually mumbled, slowly stringing my words together. I didn't look at the two of them bobbing in the water, and I was only vaguely aware of Mineta's frozen form next to me. I was focused on the fight in front of us, the hulking monstrosity slowly turning its attention of Aizawa.

"I think…Sensei erased his quirk. But he's still so strong…is he even human?" Izuku gaped, his eyes locked on Noumu's back. The creature let out another screech before it lunged at Aizawa, who quickly jumped back to avoid being grabbed. Apparently, my encounter with the creature had given him enough warning to know better than charging him directly. The other smaller villains seemed to have scattered at this point, apparently afraid of the creature let loose in the midst. Present Mic took the opportunity to join the fray, blasting away the remaining lackeys while he made his way to support Aizawa. It was better than Aizawa being alone, but this was still not a good situation.

The way those two fought was honestly incredible. When I had stood with Aizawa, it was awkward, and I didn't know how to avoid getting in his way. Present Mic clearly had fought with Aizawa plenty of times. He ducked around the threads of cloth whizzing through the air, screaming during the intervals where Aizawa had left him an opening. Noumu was shifted slightly from each one of Present Mic's shouts, but it was still clear they were outmatched. Aizawa seemed to notice this two, and eventually he was yanking Present Mic out of the way before the creature got too close.

"No…no he's not…that's insane. I…" I started coughing, and I was once again made aware of the fact that I had just taken a hit meant for All Might. If Aizawa hadn't erased his strength at that moment, I would have been killed right then and there. I could feel myself growing heavier, and I knew it was becoming harder to support me like this. I couldn't really move on my own, but I could nod towards the edge.

"You…you need to leave…me…there! If he…turns on you…you can't hold on to me…" I eventually wheezed out, and it was surprisingly Mineta who answered.

"Are you insane?! All of this is crazy…we're going to die!" he squeaked, throwing himself suddenly at Tsuyu. She tensed up as soon as his hands got a little too close, and suddenly he was struggling to stay afloat. I snorted and then winced, swallowing hard.

"Do it…put me there…I'll be fine…" I repeated insistently, Tsuyu and Izuku exchanging looks. Tsuyu eventually nodded, carefully hoisting me over the edge. Moving at all hurt, and I moved the arm that wasn't snapped like a twig to cover my mouth. They didn't need to be distracted by me right now. If anything, I'd just be insanely tired after a visit with Recovery Girl. Hopefully, there wouldn't be any permanent damage.

Out of the corner of my eye, as I laid there fighting to stay awake, I caught sight of Kurogiri's mist slowly forming behind Shigaraki. The duo exchanged words I couldn't focus on enough to hear, but Shigaraki looked pissed. If I could guess, it was likely Iida had made his escape. As long as All Might was on his way, we would be safe.

I watched as he suddenly whipped around, reaching for Tsuyu quickly. His hand snagged her face, and everything seemed to freeze for a second. Izuku was shouting something, pulling back his fist as he took aim at Shigaraki. Present Mic and Aizawa both tried to get around Noumu, jumping to the side to avoid the creature's sudden lunge for them. At the very edge of my range, I suddenly felt a cool breeze, slowly dilating up in to a frantic storm. I couldn't do it anymore. I tried to stay away, but there was only so much I could handle. I closed my eyes and drifted off, the ground shaking beneath me.

* * *

Shoto had wanted to freeze everything on sight, but he couldn't do that. He had arrived just in time to see Homura fly across the field, and he would be forever grateful to Tsuyu for catching her. Who knows what he would have done if she hit the hard ground. His Ice had lashed out almost right away, but years of training let him keep his cool for the time being. He couldn't risk freezing everybody around him due to a slip in composure. Instead, Katsuki and Kirishima made up for his quiet.

"H-holy shit, what the fuck?! Did he just…kill her?!" Kirishima breathed, his eyes narrowing to slits and his body hardening in response. He was furious, and it was unusual for such a happy-go-lucky guy. Katsuki's eyes were wide with shock, and Shoto couldn't tell what he was thinking. The two both trembled a bit as they looked at the monstrosity that might have just killed their classmate, and suddenly they were running. Shoto found himself following before he could even consider it.

"No, couldn't have. There's no fucking way that bitch died from that. She definitely broke something though." Katsuki narrowed his eyes, shooting forward in bursts with his quirk. Shoto could only hope in Katsuki's bizarre display of faith.

They only hesitated slightly when the entrance to the facility suddenly exploded, All Might's massive form suddenly dashing across the clearing. He wasted no time in clearing out the stragglers, passing by both Thirteen and Cementoss as they pulled the remaining students out of his way. Shoto and the others only pushed themselves harder, crossing the gap quickly as they approached the impending fight.

"It's all right now…for I am here!" His very presence was uplifting, and though Shoto was plagued by thoughts of his sister's broken form, he found his adrenaline propelling his body forward in a mad rush. Kirishima let out a series of whoops and Katsuki even grinned, their eyes lit with the fire of hope.

On the other side of the field, All Might quickly scooped up Izuku and the others, being sure to carry Homura carefully. She was out cold, but she was still breathing and for that All Might was grateful. He didn't know how he would feel if one of his own students was killed due to his own carelessness. It would haunt him forever, alongside other scars. The large hero carefully deposited her in Izuku's arms before glancing back at the small huddle of villains.

"Head towards the entrance you three! I have to leave Homura-san with you! She's unconscious!" he urged them, the trio staring at him with wide eyes. Tsyuy adjusted to the sudden movement easily, but Mineta stood there in a daze for a few seconds.

"So fast…" Mineta breathed, dazed by the sudden relocation. Izuku watched All Might with wonder, carefully lifting Homura on to his back. She was small and light, and he was able to carry her by himself. Mineta fidgeted behind them as they began to walk towards the entrance, loking back at the impending fight every few seconds.

"Mineta, if you keep looking back you'll make yourself even more nervous." Tsuyu hung back a bit behind Izuku, prodding at the smaller kid's head to get his attention. He flinched and looked back at her, eyes wide and fearful.

With Aizawa, Present Mic, and All Might the fight was extremely close. Aizawa kept the other two at bay for the most part, erasing their quirks whenever they tried to intervene in the battle between Noumu and All Might. Present Mic attacked Kurogiri and Shigaraki head on, forcing them to retreat as he blasted soundwaves at them. Shigaraki would make a few attempts grabs at Present Mic, portals appearing around as Kurogiri aided. It was an odd fight, since one or the other's quirk would suddenly stop working at random intervals. Aizawa was good, but he couldn't keep them both quirkless forever.

"Do you think he can beat them? When Midoriya-kun punched him…nothing happened! You saw how powerful his punches are! That's insane!" he babbled. All Might was engaged in combat with Noumu on his own, since Snipe's shots did nothing to even distract the creature. He punched the creature with as much force as he could muster, only for everything to be absorbed through Noumu's quirk. The creature in question remained oblivious to the hero's attempts at damaging him, charging at him relentlessly. Aizawa seemed torn between both fights, unable to erase Noumu's quirk and keep the other two at bay at the same time. One wrong move, and someone might die.

Izuku suddenly came to a halt in front of them. He glanced back before suddenly adjusting Homura on his back, gesturing for Tsuyu to take her. Tsuyu tilted her head but obliged, making sure to not rattle Homura too much.

"Take her off my shoulders! I have to help them!" Izuku clenched his fists and suddenly took off in a run, dashing towards the scene unfolding before them. Mineta called out to him, but he ignored the smaller boy. He couldn't let All Might die like this. He needed him. He needed him to teach. The world needed him.

Kurogiri had slipped through the cracks, opening a portal in between Noumu and All Might. Aizawa cursed, his eyes focused on Shigaraki when he managed to get a hand on Present Mic. All Might swore under his breath, having thrown Noumu behind him in a backdrop slam. The creature's body sunk through the portal, his head appearing right behind All Might. He wrapped his arms around the hero and crushed them in, putting increasing pressure on his body over time.

"All Might!" Izuku screamed, pulling back his arm to punch forward at Kurogiri when an explosion rattled the ground. He blinked in astonishment as Kurogiri was suddenly slammed to the ground with impressive force, and not by him.

"Outta the fucking way!" Katsuki smirked, his fist slamming in to Kurogiri's real body as he blasted forward. The villain grunted, his body falling back as Katsuki pinned him underneath. He held the man down with his hand, sparks flying out for emphasis. "No funny business out of you, you shadow-ass mobling!" he sneered.

Behind him Kirishima ran up with Shoto in tow, the duo breathing heavily form the exertion. Shoto wasted no time, slamming his foot on the ground. Ice traveled down his arm and shot across the field, encasing Noumu in a layer of ice. Kirishima ran forward in front of them both, his body hardening and daring anybody to try and threaten them.

"The symbol of peace won't go down as easy as you clowns!" Shoto announced, his eyes cold. Homura was out of danger, which was good, but that didn't make their situation any less dire. If All Might was having trouble, then they were way in over their heads. That didn't mean they could just stop fighting though.

"...Noumu…take care of that explosion boy. We have to leave…" Shiragaki knew then the game was over. There were too many of them, and even with Noumu they wouldn't be able to fight this. He had been forced to let go of Present Mic the moment Aizawa threw himself at him, and was farther from the battle than he would have liked. They were cornered, and he knew it.

"The second you so much as twitch, I'll load you with a nice little explosion. Right here, right now!" Katsuki hissed down at the villain, his palms popping for even more emphasis. Kirishima snorted.

"That's not a very heroic line dude…" They got a little too comfortable. Shoto had even relaxed just a bit, standing up from the crouch he had been in when there was a loud cracking sound. Noumu, who had been frozen, snapped half of his body off when he suddenly stood up.

"How is he moving…?! Didn't half of his body just snap away…?!" Izuku stared in horror, taking a step back. All Might frowned, holding his hand out in front of the students.

"Stand back, all of you!" All Might shouted, and suddenly Aizawa was behind everybody, his cloth snapping out and yanking everybody back one at a time. Shoto didn't fight the cloth that suddenly snapped around his waste and pulled him back, but it startled him. Katsuki howled in rage when he was also forcibly evacuated from the area, seconds before Noumu suddenly sent a blast in that direction. Kurogiri took this time to warp away, appearing besides Shigaraki.

"Shigaraki-san, we should leave. We are outmatched!" Kurogiri muttered, Shigaraki twitching in response. He was right, they had no possible way of beating this. Pro heroes stood in between them and their goal, along with these talented kids that thwarted their plans at every turn. Those damned kids…!

"…it's our game over screen…we can't kill All Might…but we can kill someone…Black mist-!" Shigarki suddenly laughed, and Kurogiri sighed. A portal slowly appeared underneath Noumu, the creature suddenly falling through before anybody could do anything. "…Noumu, finish the job…! It's a game over…but we can get a consolation prize…!"

Shots rang out through the building as Sniper caught wind of the plan, jumping over his cover and running forward. His bullets continued to bounce off the emerging Noumu uselessly as the creature appeared before Tsuyu, Mineta, and Homura. Mineta immediately started tearing up, and Tsuyu shot out her tongue to try to pull them away from the danger. Shoto ran forward slowly until his arm was suddenly yanked, and he found himself being blasted forward by Katsuki.

"Well, you fucker? Don't be a little bitch and stand there!" he snarled, his palm outstretched behind him as he suddenly shot them forward. Shoto immediately got the picture, ice covering the floor beneath them and they both skated across the ground at high speeds.

"Well?! Don't make me ask twice you moron!" Katsuki snarled, and Shoto assumed he meant using his ice. He brought up a wall that tore across the ground towards the trio, hoping it would reach them in time. Katsuki scowled, grabbing Shoto's hand roughly. "No, you fucking shit-for-brains, use your fire. I know you can fucking use it. USE IT!"

Shoto reacted instinctively at this point, reaching for the fire and tugging hard. The hand Katsuki gripped in his suddenly burst in to flames, and Katsuki smirked. He poured his explosion in to it, and suddenly a blast shot out from the two of them and coated the Noumu. Shoto swore at the backlash as they were both flung backwards, Katsuki only howling triumphantly at their success. Well, assumed success anyways.

"No fucking way…" Katsuki stared in shock once the two of them hit the ground roughly, watching as the creature barely flinched. It had stopped for a second, only to move forward for the trio once more. That was when a streak blurred over them, All Might pulling back his arm and slamming it in to the Noumu. He didn't just punch the creature. He channeled his power in to his fist, completely overwhelming and nullifying every regeneration quirk the creature had. Everybody stared in shock as smoke began to obscure the area, and even Sniper was forced to stop firing once he couldn't see anymore.

"…Shigaraki…!" Kurogiri's mist suddenly expanding, and any other portals he had in the area suddenly dissipated. Just as All Might went for the final blow. Noumu suddenly fell through a portal that appeared beneath him, slamming shut just as fast as it opened.

"For the time being we failed…but we'll get you next time, symbol of peace All Might!" Shigaraki's threat reverberated through everyone present, and for a moment everything seemed to stop.

"Tch, we would have killed it if it was her fire." Katsuki scowled, clearly annoyed as he got to his feet. Mineta had at some point fallen to the ground, hyperventilating while All Might stood in front of them. Tsuyu brought he tongue back carefully, looking a bit shocked but okay for the most part. Homura still hung there, dead to the world.

"Are you guys okay?!" Kirishima called out, sprinting across the field towards the group. All Might seemed to twitch, and for some reason dust seemed to kick up in the air again. Shoto blinked, and before anybody could do anything, large cement walls suddenly surrounded the hero.

"Leave the injured to the care of your Senseis. We would prefer everybody make their way towards the entrance. " Cementoss walked down the stairs after confirming everybody was safe, his wall blocking Kirishima and the rest. Tsuyu backed up from the sudden wall in front of her, holding on to Homura tightly. Mineta had apparently tried to latch on to Tsuyu at some point, her foot firmly in his face while he laid on the ground.

"Where should we go Sensei?" She tilted her head, waiting for instruction. She eventually released Mineta, who sobbed quietly as he got to his feet. Cementoss looked over the ragtag group, his eyes lingering on Homura the longest.

"Take her to the entrance. Make sure to be careful, we don't know how serious her injuries are yet. Wait there while we gather the rest." Tsuyu nodded in response to Cementoss, carefully adjusting her hold on Homura before scaling the stairs. Mineta trailed behind, still a little distraught.

"If you're not injured, head to the entrance. As for the rest of us…" Aizawa's eyes darted to the other sensei's who had only just arrived, closing his eyes. "There are more villains in the rest of the zones. We still have a few students to rescue."

"I'll take care of the villains if ya'll go round up tha students." Snipe reloaded his gun, firing off a few shots for emphasis. The bullets flew through the air, controlled by Snipe's homing quirk before hitting multiple targets throughout the U.S.J. "Seems there's still a good handful of 'em"

"Shouldn't be a problem now. We've got this handled, yeeeah!" Present Mic whooped, throwing his arms up in the air before turning his attention towards Kirishima. "Which zones did you come from listeners?"

Kirishima blinked, then rubbed his head. "Uum, well Bakugou-kun and I came from the ruins zone. And I guess Todoroki-kun would have come from the Landslide zone? I think it was just us, unless Hagakure-chan…" he trailed off, suddenly looking concerned. Shoto closed his eyes, sighing quietly.

"No, she was with me. I believe she climbed out, but I don't know where she went." Present Mic nodded enthusiastically before gesturing for the other teachers. Soon, everybody was bustling about as they did sweeps over the zones to locate everyone. Shoto nearly forgot about the incident in the Landslide zone, suddenly turning towards Aizawa when he remembered.

"Sensei, I froze a few of them in the Landslide zone. I couldn't break them free without hurting them unnecessarily. They need help as soon as possible!" Shoto frowned a bit, hoping he wasn't too late. He didn't want or mean to kill them. Aizawa glanced at him before looking over at the Landslide zone.

"We'll handle it. Head to the entrance. We need to check everybody once we've rounded all of you up." He instructed and Shoto nodded, heading up the stairs quietly. He let go of Fire as soon as possible, letting it slide back to Homura without a word. At the thought of her, he nearly tripped on the stairs. He held on to the bar carefully, ignoring the confused looks given to him as he reached the top.

Homura was currently lying on the ground for the time being, Ashido fussing quietly over her unconscious form. He hadn't gotten a look at her earlier considering the situation, but now that he did, he felt sick. One of her arms and leg looked as though they had been crushed, malformed and bruised. As far as he was concerned, the real problem had been where she had taken a direct hit to the stomach. Her breathing was shallow, and it was clear she was struggling, and yet somehow, she was holding on.

Her costume itself was destroyed, the metal piece on her back in shambles. Metal bits seemed to fall off every time she was moved, though of course that was the last thing anybody wanted to do right now. Her goggles had apparently snapped off at some point, Tsuyu holding them carefully in her hands. The real problem though was that she was completely soaked, and if she continued to lie out there like that she would have more problems than just wounds.

"Hey, do I need to make something for her? She must be freezing!" he glanced back at Yaoyorozu, accompanied by Jiro and a dazed Kaminari. He was muttering incoherently, though the thumbs up he was repeatedly given assured everyone that he was okay. They walked up the stairs carefully, Kaminari supposed by Jiro while Yaoyorozu rushed forward. Blood King flanked them from behind, a little hesitant to pass them just in case Kaminari suddenly fell backwards. Jiro managed to help him all the way up, however, and only giggled slightly as she guided him towards the group.

"Is she okay? What happened?" Jiro managed to sober down pretty quickly, looking grim. Shoto considered his answer.

"She was injured by a villain. She could use a blanket. She fell in to the water." Yaoyorozu nodded at the subtle request, taking a deep breath and thinking. After a few minutes, she managed to pull a small blanket from her arm.

"It's not anything fancy, but it should help." She assured Shoto as she draped it over Homura, making sure to not aggravate any of her wounds. The girl made no movements, only twitching just a bit. She seemed stable, thankfully.

"Thank you." Shoto mumbled after a few moments, and Yaoyorozu smiled slightly before backing up. She turned her attention on the others, hoping nobody else had gotten injured. Shoto knelt after a moment, ignoring the others for the time being. He just watched over his sister's form, frowning. That was when he heard the whispers.

"—frozen solid. Couldn't get them out easily–"

"Some of them tried to free themselves. Doesn't look pretty."

"—might die—"

He didn't react outwardly, but on the inside, it hurt. Shoto had wanted to subdue them, not hurt them. He had wanted to stop those villains from doing anything cruel, but instead he had done something cruel. If Homura had been teleported with them, she would have been able to free them. She could have saved them. He couldn't.

He glanced down at his sister, acknowledging her strength. She was strong and kind and did whatever she could to help. She had nearly died herself fighting off the villains, and he had just likely killed, if not crippled, at least a dozen of them. The realization hurt. It burned. It angered. She was walking forward, becoming a true hero and leaving him behind. She was doing just like she said she would.

The sight of her back… it only made him feel despair.

* * *

To say I was exhausted…was a major understatement. Waking up days after passing out was incredibly disorientating, especially when Recovery Girl's quirk was involved. It hadn't been easy either – it was a struggle to stay awake once I opened my eyes. A quick check confirmed I had all my limbs, though I felt incredibly stiff and weak. When I tried to sit up from the bed I was lying in, I felt a sharp pain in my stomach. I grunted, bit my lip, and carefully adjusted myself until I was sitting up. I needed to figure out where I was. I needed to know everybody was okay.

"Ah, Todoroki-chan you're awake!" I blinked, startled by the nurse who suddenly entered the room. She had a cute black bob cut with bright blue eyes, though my attention was more focused on the floating clipboard that hovered behind her. She giggled, clearly having gone through this before.

"Oh, don't worry about that. It's just my quirk. I can float things if they're light enough. Now that you're awake, I'll send word to Yuuei. Recovery Girl-san should arrive later today for another treatment!" she hummed, and I could only stare blankly. Another treatment? That was a little bit concerning, and apparently, I showed it on my face.

"You've been out for two days since Recovery Girl-san has been working on you. It took a lot of energy out of you, so we've had you here for the time being. I think you should be cleared to return home today, if not, tomorrow!" I only nodded quietly, mind buzzing as she rattled off a few more medical things before leaving the room. Two days, huh? It was crazy to think I'd been out of it for that long, but I guess I should have expected it with what I went through. I let my hand slide over my stomach, wincing at the pain. Recovery Girl was apparently due for another visit, but I had a feeling this wasn't something that could be fixed that easily.

I let out a sigh, wincing just a bit before glancing over at the table next to the bed. If Yuuei was open now, everybody would have just ended lunch. I didn't have to wonder if they thought about me at all, considering the small pile of gifts and cards next to the clock. I would have to read them later, since I didn't feel like leaning for them now.

The next few hours I spent there were insanely boring. Occasionally the nurse would pop in for a chat, and eventually I turned on the news to see what was happening, but for the most part I just laid there quietly. When Recovery Girl showed up, she was not alone.

"Homura-chan, we were so worried! I'm glad you're okay!" Izuku stood on the other side of the bed, and we both politely ignored how ironic it was that I was the one here this time. It was likely a joke with bad timing and poor taste. Uraraka, Ashido, Iida, and Kirishima also crowded the room, though they kept back to give Recovery Girl space. I was a little disappointed to see Shoto hadn't shown up, but I tried to ignore that for now.

"Thanks, honestly. Was anybody else hurt? The news channel was kind of vague…" I mumbled, holding out my hand for Recovery Girl as she gave it a quick peck. I felt a little more tired than I'd be comfortable with, but the consistent pain in my stomach had subsided.

"Surprisingly, you were the only one hurt really bad. A few scrapes and bruises, but everybody else made it out fine. Even this troublemaker!" Recovery Girl jabbed a finger at Izuku, who smiled sheepishly. She then frowned, turning her attention back to me. "You're going to have to avoid taking hits like this again though. Not all of this healing was because of my quirk." I cocked an eyebrow at that.

"It wasn't…? What did they have to fix that you couldn't?" I tilted my head, hoping it wasn't too bad. If I remembered correctly, Izuku would eventually damage his arms to the point where they were practically unusable. It ended up with him taking on an even better style, but it was still a problem.

"I speed up the body's recovery rate, but it doesn't always recover right. They had to reposition a few of your bones to make sure they healed correctly when I applied my quirk. This of course takes time. I would expect your left leg and right arm to be considerably weaker from now on. Not that I suggest you do anything strenuous." She rattled off, and I nodded numbly.

"What about the sports festival? Will I be healed up for that?" Izuku grimaced at the question.

"Do you really think that's wise, Homura-chan? If you can't do your best out there and you get hurt worse, you could end your career before it even begins!" Iida lectured me lightly, and I couldn't help but snort. Seconds later, Recovery Girl lightly smacked me with her hand.

"What you need to worry about is recovery girl. I'll check up on you in a week to see if you're fit, but I don't want you doing anything strenuous for this whole week. The hospital already has a recovery plan for you set out, so if you really want to participate, then I expect you to be a good patient." She reprimanded lightly before hopping off the stool, apparently finished. "You should be okay to be released to your family tonight, but they might hold you for another day. Don't do any more stupid things!" She huffed, a little harsh but I could tell she worried. I simply gave her a smile, and she rolled her eyes.

"Recovery Girl-sensei is pretty terrifying. Definitely the manliest woman I've ever met. In a respectable way of course." Kirishima hastily added, saving himself from any possible harm. Ashido and Uraraka only giggled though, and I didn't have the strength to smack him upside the head.

"At least she healed Homura-chan. I think if I got injured again, she'd do worse than smack me." Izuku joked, and everybody laughed at that.

"So, nobody got hurt? Not even any of our Senseis?" I probed for information, and was rewarded spectacularly.

"No, everybody left with only minor injures! Our Sensei's performances were as expected, and everybody left without harm. Except you, but from what we were told, you did amazing work!" I furrowed my brow in confusion.

"Uum, I'm pretty sure all I did was get in Aizawa-sensei's way. He couldn't use his quirk as efficiently with me there. I think all I did was cause extra chaos." I muttered, and Ashido sighed loudly. She suddenly hopped up carefully on to the bed, leaning back over my legs. I quirked an eyebrow at her.

"Hey, don't give me that look I've been suffering in class all day! But yeah, Homura-chan, you did amazing! I saw you take out some villains! It was awesome! You're amazing!" I flushed at that, ducking my head. Uraraka giggled, patting it lightly.

"Yeah, you were really cool. I'm glad you're on our side. Hopefully we don't have to do that again." She added, frowning slightly at the thought.

"It was kinda cool though. You should have seen Bakugou-kun man! He was a beast! We destroyed all of those guys in the ruins zone!" Kirishima grinned, flexing his muscles a bit as he preened. "Actually, that list bit he did with Shoto was amazing too!"

"Huh? What'd he do?" I frowned, and everybody seemed to remember I wasn't conscious at that point. It was a little awkward at first, but Kirishima pushed through it.

"He took Todoroki-kun's hand and I guess they combined quirks? Made a HUGE explosion. It was incredible!" Kirishima spread his arms out for emphasis, and Uraraka snorted.

"Wait, did they kill that monster? For real?" If they did, well, that was pretty damn amazing. I couldn't even do a dent to it, but I guess it was to be expected from Shoto. It was surprising that he used our Fire at all, but I could guess Katsuki probably made a huge deal about it.

"Ah, well not exactly! But they stopped him long enough for All Might-sensei to hold him off!" That was strange. They way Kirishima answered implied that they had only held Noumu off instead of capturing him like last time. It was a little worrying, and I had to wonder how much had really changed while I had been out.

"They didn't capture that monster? Did they get away?" I must have sounded a little panicked because everybody exchanging worrying looks at my insistence.

"Well, no they all got away. But they captured all those small-time thugs instead. You're not worried about that thing coming back for you, are you?" Izuku tilted his head slightly, and I sighed. That wasn't the problem. Contrary to popular belief, I did not get traumatized every time I got my rear kicked by someone bigger than me. Maybe they were worried my trauma had triggered during the fight? It had been close…but adrenaline had let me keep my wits about me.

"No, I trust in our Senseis. You just have to worry about someone like that running lose, you know? That guy was scary strong." I unconsciously put my hand to my stomach, and suddenly I had everybody's hand patting my head with various degrees of strength. It was weird, but silly, and I couldn't help but laugh.

"We got your back Homura-chan! Don't worry, we're all heroes, right? We have to stick together!" Uraraka cheered, and Iida did a weird arm gesture for emphasis. Eventually, we fell in to a comfortable conversation until they were all ushered out by a nurse. I ended up staying there for the night, keeping myself busy with the cards I finally rummaged through. Just about everybody had left a card with their signature, and for some bizarre reason, Katsuki had left a threat with a little more money. Shoto hadn't left anything, but I figured I would talk to him tomorrow.

The oddest card of them all was unsigned, but based on the handwriting, I could tell they were a female. Regardless, I got the oddest feeling from that card and I made sure to stand it up carefully among the others. Then, I fell asleep.

* * *

 ****Omake****

The years had been gentle to her, and she had managed a fragile sort of peace in her time in this room. There was no yelling or fighting, only the daily visits from the nurses and sometimes even her two eldest. Sora would bring sweets whenever he managed to visit, telling her about his misdeeds in school and occasional achievements. Kaito never brought anything, but he kept her up to date with everything that was happening. Most importantly, she was able to hear about her twins.

Shoto was a quiet boy, and she was relieved to know that he rebelled against Endeavor at every turn. If Endeavor looked left, Shoto would look right. He still followed his dream, but he kept her words in his mind and strived to achieve them without Endeavor's help. He tried to do the right thing, even when he had a hard time expressing himself. He didn't make friends easily, but he managed to get along with his classmates well enough. It was a little worrying that he rejected his own quirk so harshly, but from what she knew, Sora and Kaito were trying to counsel him.

Homura was a different issue. She was her daughter, and nothing would change, but sometimes the burn on her arm would tinge with regret. She could still see that angry ball of fire, defending her brother from harm. She had kept that fire with her as she had grown, and was turning in to a lovely girl. She was funny and kind, and though her relationship with Shoto was strained, she still tried to look out for him. Homura was still very much daddy's little girl, but she didn't let that stop her from doing what was right. She still hurt daily though, and like Shoto, was receiving counseling from the duo.

When she had heard about the U.S.J. incident, she was almost brought to tears. Her daughter was in the same hospital, though in a completely different ward. She was so close, but she couldn't see her. No, she didn't want to see Homura. She wanted to see Homura and Shoto.

"Please…can you…please give this to her…" she held out a small blue card to the nurse, her hands shaking a she did so. Endeavor would never allow her near Homura, especially if she was in a bad state. She couldn't blame him. She didn't know what Homura would do if she saw her mother who had hurt them so many years ago. She couldn't stop loving her twins though. She longed for the day that she could see them both.

"Ah, Todoroki-san, I don't know if I can…" the nurse hesitated under Setsuko's gaze, her eyes pleading silently. She gripped the card firmer, pushing it carefully in to the nurse's hands.

"Please…this is all I can do. I just need her to know…that I want her to be okay. I want them both to be okay." The nurse's resolve crumbled at that, and soon she was leaving with the card in hand. Setsuko could only close her eyes, smiling slightly before glancing out the window.

One day, she would see her twins. She would see Fuyumi, and the boys as well. She wanted to see them all together. They would be together again someday. She was certain.

* * *

 **A/N: That was the most action I've written in anything. I did my best so hopefully it came out alright. I don't think I'm amazing at fight scenes to be honest. I have the tendency to overdescribe by mistake. This was a favorite arc of mine to write personally, but now there really is a small break! You know what that means - small fillers! Can't say how long or how many chapters, but we won't be skipping right to the sports festival.**

 **Anyways, I am sorry about the wait. We wanted this chapter to be perfect! Thank you guys for your reviews - always makes my day! Also thank you for favorites and alerts as well!**

 **See you next time!**


	15. Break

**A/N:: IM SO SORRY GUYS. I had a bunch of holiday stuff to deal with, and then this chapter turned out to be HARD to write. I've also been running a Todoroki ask blog on tumblr so oops. If you ever want to hit me up there, it's askhalfandhalf. It's canon Todoroki though, so Homura isn't a thing there.**

 **I finally got it though, and I'm sorry its shorter than my last few. Fillers are a pain to write, but the next chapter should be easier.**

 **spicyrash - Ask and ye shall receive. Kinda. lol.**

 **Guest 1 - thanks!**

 **Just Monika here owo - I'm glad you liked it fight scenes are so hard to write! I'm glad I was able to invoke some emotion this time around. tried my best! #dadzawa.**

 **Iamthebestwriter - You know it. Todoroki drama! Man I can do that if I have inspiration. I had my plans for that chapter in advance. There will be a few other arcs that I do as well. Fillers, while important, are what will slow everything down. that all sounds so funny though haha! I might check out Tokyo ghoul if I get the time.**

 **skidney - thank you for your kind words every chapter. bless you.**

 **Guest 2 - It was a last minute addition. Glad everybody liked the omake!**

 **twinficlover - I like your name, aha! I really tried to balance the angst and...well not angst and thankfully I've done it in a good way. Angst and drama itself is so interesting to write about, because there are so many emotions rolling around.**

 **As for their quirk, it will develop over time as their relationship develops. I already have plans for it, but as of now they cannot split it equally. It's either one or the other.**

 **She's "daddy's little girl" because she doesn't fight him like Shoto. Even when she was little, she was trying to get his attention. She wants that normal family. She wants to have this perfect mother and father and all their siblings together. She thinks she has to put forth the effort all by herself, which is obviously toxic and unhealthy all things considered. She's trying to get along with Endeavor. Shoto doesn't. As for other people noticing, I'm slowly bringing that in. Aizawa notices something's up but he's not 100% sure. Endeavor doesn't just tell the world what he's done, and none of his kids have spoken about it either. Not even their mother.**

 **Thank you for your kind words. Hope I gave a little info for you. I don't want to say too much, since you know, spoilers!**

 **Meowgenics - Sorry! But that was my intention so..lol.**

 **Littlecosma001 - thank you so much!**

 **Guest 3 - idk what to tell you. You didn't give any critique, so *shrugs* lol.**

 **Niknaclol - man, I can't believe that idea didn't cross my mind. Keep in mind the chapters are being updated, so the translations will be better. The first five were just me by myself, but my beta reader is doing amazing things. She's helping me fix them up, so I'm sorry if they were struggle to get through. I did keep it to the one chapter though.**

 **As for the Nee-chan/Nii-chan, I know. My problem was I didn't explain why they did that. It was a personal choice by the two of them, because nobody told them who was older. Homura and Shoto decided that they would be each other's older sibling and protect one another. Back then anyways. I know it's a little odd, but there is a reason behind that. It's not really a thing in the later chapters though. The chapters are being updated thankfully, so it'll be better explained a lot earlier than when I do!**

 **Thank you for your critique. I like your points and am glad to have mistakes pointed out. It helps me in the long run!**

 **IsraAl'Attia-Theron - So glad you like it! I hope you like the newest chapter even though its a bit lack luster.**

 **I think this is kind of one of my worse chapters, but it helps the story flow smoothly. Sorry for the wait guys, I really am! Hopefully I'll have the next a lot faster!**

* * *

I didn't go back to school the next day, instead I headed home early in the morning once I was checked out. It was probably one of the single most awkward situations I had been in, because it was my father who checked me out. He wasn't in his hero costume, but it was plain as day who he was. Between his flaming beard and his intense personality, nobody could miss Endeavor walking through the front office of the facility. I certainly didn't. I politely averted my gaze while everybody ogled the larger man. They didn't approach him, since his horrid personality was well known, but that didn't stop them from staring with awe. I kept my head down and my back hunched over slightly as I trailed behind him, hoping they would leave me alone as well. Thankfully, they did.

"You won't be returning to Yuuei today. I have already requested that Shoto to be sent home with your work." I simply nodded, expecting a harsh lecture when we got to the car. I glanced around as we walked outside, squinting a bit at the harsh sunlight. It was a nice day, and I would enjoy sitting outside later. That's what I assumed I would be doing anyways.

"Take us to the tower. Quickly, I don't have time to waste." Endeavor barked at the driver as the door was opened for the both of us. I blinked, stunned by the unusual plans. I had known about his agency, but not once had he ever brought me there. It was a little concerning, and I couldn't help but feel wary around him as I slid in to the backseat alongside him.

"We're…we're going to your agency?" I finally managed after a moment, openly staring over at my father. He sat facing forwards, but his eyes subtly drifted over to meet mine for a moment.

"Yes. I have work to do, and you have some explaining to do later. We'll take care of it at the office in the afternoon, but for now you'll wait with my sidekicks." Sidekicks? Well, that took me by surprise and apparently it showed on my face. He snorted, rolling his eyes and leaning back slightly in the seat as the car began to move.

"Yes, I have sidekicks. I don't need them, but I'm required to, apparently." He sneered at the end, and it was very clear he didn't like his sidekicks at all.

"Why are they required?" I twitched just a bit when the car began to move, settling back in the seat as well. If father noticed, he didn't comment.

"They didn't teach you this already? If you have an explosive and powerful quirk like mine, the government requires that you have a certain number of sidekicks to counter your quirk. To minimize the damage, or so they say." He scowled, and we ended up sitting in uncomfortable silence as the driver brought us to the tower. I couldn't help but feel a bit excited, since I had only seen his large office and the outside of it before. Endeavor's hero agency was a large skyscraper, and there was likely to be something interesting inside.

I eased my way out of the car slowly, doing my best to ignore my father's intimidating presence behind me. The time we had spent together this morning had been the most I had ever been around him unless we were training. It was a little unnerving really, and I half expected him to start something the moment I let my guard down. He met my gaze as he exited the vehicle before looking away, and I let out the breath I wasn't aware I had been holding until then.

"You're heading to the twelfth floor. Don't try and go anywhere else. You don't want me to hear about you wandering places you don't belong." We walked through the glass doors quietly, everybody ignoring us for the most part. I assumed that here they knew what my father was like when it came to annoyances.

"I'm not coming with you?" I blinked, confused.

"No, I don't have the time to deal with you. I need you out of my hair while I'm doing something productive. You can stay with my sidekicks while I do actual hero work. It's not a place for you." I sighed, but nodded in resignation as I followed him in to the building. He passed through the glass doors without a care, but I couldn't help but marvel at just the lobby alone.

It was large and spacious, with very little crowding the space. The ground was covered in a sleek tile and the walls painted a dark navy blue. Various paintings covered the walls, and to my surprise and delight, what looked like actual torches seemed to light the outside of the room. A grand chandelier hung in the center, illuminating everything else the torches could not.

In the center of the lobby was the receptionist desk, and right behind them was a large and obnoxious statue of my father. He was in a grand pose, his arms flexing with obvious exaggeration, and his face had a shit-eating grin. All in all, it was the perfect representation of him. I couldn't help but gape, eventually moving along when I noticed my father's growing impatience. I scurried along, following him as we approached the elevators that resided in the very back of the lobby. He pointed at the one on the right as he headed for the left.

"Floor 12. Follow the water. I don't want to hear about you fucking wandering, do I make myself clear?" I didn't really understand what eh meant by water, but I got the hint. I nodded furiously, ducking in to the elevator before he had a chance to spark up any tenser conversation. I let out a sigh of relief as the doors closed behind me, and I quickly pressed the button for the twelfth floor. The elevator rumbled beneath me gently before taking off at a steady pace, and I leaned back against the wall. I pulled out my phone, checking for messages.

 **Ashido :: Homura-chan, I hope we get to see you soon! We have a LOT of gossip to catch up on!**

 **Kirishima :: Don't be ashamed if you have any scars! Scars are some of the manliest things anybody can ever hope to have!**

 **Izuku :: Kaa-san made some cookies for you when you come back to class. Let me know when you're coming back so I can bring them. I hope you get better. :)**

 **Iida :: Homura-chan, I will have the materials for our next homeroom activities as President and Vice President sent to you immediately! You must remain prepared for your education!**

 **Katsuki :: I got a bone to pick with you. Hurry the fuck up and get back here!**

I couldn't help but snort at Katsuki's backwards approach to caring, but it was his thing. I wasn't all that surprised. If anything, the fact that he even sent a message meant something, and I couldn't help but feel a bit happy about it. It was nice to be cared about, even if it was for a single fleeting moment. I wanted to reply to the messages, but the abrupt jolting of the elevator knocked me out of my thoughts. I blinked, stepping out in to the hallway as the doors opened. As soon as I did, I slipped and fell.

"Aquarius-chan, look what you did! You took out a random chi- oh that's Endeavor-san's kid!" I blinked, wincing at the sudden impact as I tried to carefully rise to my feet. I ignored the panicked voices for a moment as I stood up, glancing down at the floor. Water. Everywhere. As soon as I looked back up, my personal space was invaded as a face suddenly appeared in my vision.

The first thing I took notice of was that this girl's entire body was soaking wet, and from the constant droplets hitting the ground, it looked like she couldn't stop secreting water. Her long, sky blue hair clung to her damp face, her bright green eyes staring at me wide with concern. She was dressed in an odd jumpsuit that looked a little bloated, and if I could guess, it was likely storing the water that tried to escape her body. You couldn't blame me for stumbling back and nearly falling again. The woman caught me by my uninjured arm, however, and I collided with her chest. Talk about awkward.

"I'm so, so sorry! I'm always leaving such a mess, if only I could control it! I'm Aquarius by the way! Pleasure to meet you! Extinguish-san, do you have any towels over there?" She spoke incredibly fast, and I found my head hurting trying to keep up with her. She pushed me back from her gently before gripping my shoulders tightly, and I winced. She seemed preoccupied.

"You're going to break her shoulders, let her go already." A taller, lanky man wandered out in to the hallway, a towel resting over his shoulder as he approached the two of us. His most distinguishing features was a large mop of white hair that completely shrouded his eyes, a pair of little black horns curling out from underneath. He kind of looked like a sheep. His hair completely shrouded his eyes, and for a moment I wasn't sure if he could see.

"Oh, OH you're right! Sorry Todoroki-san!" Aquarius smiled sheepishly, releasing her death grip on me. I blinked, still in a daze from all the frenzied actions that had occurred. Extinguish simply threw the towel over to me, which I caught on reflex.

"Nice catch." He snorted, and I smiled awkwardly.

"Thanks…um…sorry I haven't said anything. I didn't expect to meet anybody right outside the elevator." I took a deep breath, calming myself as I spoke. I wasn't all that nervous, but with Aquarius still hovering a little too close for comfort, speaking was a little difficult. Extinguish stared blankly at me for a moment before his hand suddenly snapped out, yanking Aquarius back. She protested lightly, but let herself be relocated.

"No no, it's my fault really. I can't keep all this water contained. This whole floor is a mess!" Aquarius shook her head and waved her hands enthusiastically, reminding me somewhat of Iida. Water flew everywhere as she flailed around until Extinguish suddenly yanked her away even further. I couldn't help but giggle just a bit at the theatrics, and for a moment I forgot we were at my father's agency. They just didn't seem like the kind of people he could ever allow within fifty feet of him.

"Come on, Endeavor-san let us know you'd be here for the day. We can get you some tea and sit in the lounge." Extinguish dragged Aquarius along as he walked away, and I followed behind carefully. My father had not been kidding when he mentioned the water on the ground.

"Did my father pick you guys out? You're kind of…nice." I finally finished, and Extinguish snorted.

"No, we were assigned here by the government. We're basically glorified firefighters, but we get paid more and sometimes we even make it in to the newspapers! It's usually Endeavor-san though…" Aquarius chuckled sheepishly as she was dragged along, and soon the three of us had settled in to the floor's lounge. We sat down comfortably, on water-resistant couches of course, and waited while Extinguish brewed a pot.

"You look a lot like Endeavor-san though. I thought you'd look more like Todoroki-san since you're a girl and all. Hopefully I didn't offend you!" Aquarius squeaked out the last bit quickly, face flushing red. Extinguish didn't say anything, but I could practically hear him rolling his eyes. I felt a bit awkward as I adjusted myself on the couch, eyes darting to the ground as I hid my surprise. I wouldn't have even considered mother would have ever been here.

"She…she was here? I didn't think he would ever bring her to some place like this." I admitted quietly, and Aquarius just laughed. I couldn't tell if she noticed the sudden tension in my body or purposely ignored it.

"Yes, Todoroki-san came here a few times when she was pregnant with you and your brother. I imagine it must have been uncomfortable, but I don't question Endeavor-san's choices!" Aquarius babbled on, and that was when Extinguish finally returned with a tray of tea and cups.

"Not if you want to live anyways. Endeavor-san is a harsh boss, but he pays well so I don't have much to complain about." Extinguish quipped as he carefully set the tray down on the table in front of everyone. I took my steaming cup with a grateful nod, taking small sips as we sat there in silence for a moment.

"Do you guys ever want to go pro one day?" I finally broke the silence, and the duo exchanged looks. Aquarius laughed nervously.

"I would, but my quirk…it's not really heroic? I'm really good at managing Endeavor-san's remaining flames he leaves behind, but I can't use it offensively. Not in a way that's efficient anyways. I can only control the water I have in my body at any time. And since it's always being released, I have to constantly drink water. It's not reliable or safe to be used for long periods of times." She explained, and I nodded along as I took another sip.

"As for me, my quirk lets me shoot out that type of stuff you might see in a fire extinguisher from my head. But I can't really control it. I can just fire it out. Basically, the same as her. Good situationally, but not good for heroics." He seemed a little bitter as he spoke, frowning before taking a sip. It was interesting learning about other's in the business, and while I felt sorry for them, I could understand why they were in this position. You couldn't really be a hero if your quirk couldn't match the intensity. There were just way too many crazy and powerful people out there.

"A-anyways, we heard what happened at the U.S.J. We're really glad you made it out of there, even if you didn't really know us. It could have been a lot worse!" Aquarius interjected before the conversation could go south, and both Extinguish and I allowed the topic change.

We spent the rest of the day there, talking excitedly about both my school plans and their career plans. I didn't even notice the time until I was finally called down, saying quick goodbyes to the two sidekicks as I stumbled back on to the elevator. I didn't know if I'd ever really get to meet them again, but it would be nice to stay in touch. I made sure to get their numbers just in case.

* * *

"The sports festival is going to be so cool! Can you just imagine it? All of us standing there on screen, with the most heroic and manly poses out there!" Kirishima did a quick fist pump, a large grin on his face as everyone laughed around him. I sat at my desk, leaning forward with my head propped up on my hands as I listened in on the conversation. I smiled as he spoke, and occasionally interjected with a remark, but for the most part kept silent.

Everybody had welcomed me back enthusiastically, and while Aizawa had a few private words about being reckless, nobody had seemed to want to drag up the U.S.J. incident. There were of course a few concerned remarks and observations about my health, but I had dismissed them easily. Recovery Girl's healing quick was amazing, and while I had been tired for the past few days, I felt mostly fine ignoring the stiffness in my arm and leg. It was ignorable though.

"Homura-chan, you're not going to be able to enter though are you?" Ashido broke through my haze, and I blinked a few times before shaking my head.

"Recovery Girl-san said I should visit her first before the event, so I might be able to if she thinks I'll be okay? Her quirk healed me up. It's just a few movement things she's concerned about. I'm still going to train though!" Kirishima grinned and clapped his hands a few times at my proclamation.

"That's the spirit! We're all going to be amazing, especially if Homura-chan can be there too! I want to battle alongside everybody!" he exclaimed, and for a moment I thought I was looking at Iida with the way his arms moved.

"Yeah but, we don't want anybody getting hurt unnecessarily. It's okay to take a break!" Tsuyu added in her own opinion, and I nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, like I said, if Recovery Girl says I could. You can bet I'll be trying my hardest against you guys. Either that, or I'll be rooting on the sidelines. I'll be your cheerleader!" I mentally slapped myself when that slipped out, my eyes drawn to Kaminari and Mineta's suddenly urgent whispering. Nobody else seemed to take notice, and I had to restrain myself from blasting them. That would be stupid no matter how good it would feel.

"That's fucking dumb. If you're going to be there, you better be out there with the rest of us." Katsuki suddenly interjected from his seat, his feet propped up on the desk much to Iida's chagrin. He was staring intently at the blackboard in front of him, but it was clear he was listening in.

"But if she's really hurt, then she could make it worse by participating. I don't think she should push herself, you know?" Izuku commented nervously, twitching a bit when Katsuki suddenly removed his feet from the desk loudly. He turned in his chair, glaring at Izuku, and the green-haired boy swallowed nervously.

"Shut the fuck up Deku! Two weeks should be enough for anybody to recover." He snarled, his eyes suddenly swivelled over to me. I couldn't help but flinched a bit at the sudden directed aggression. Years of knowing him and training him still couldn't make his glares any less intense. "Meet me after we break for lunch!" he snapped, and I nodded instinctively. Everybody stared at explosive teen, but he simply returned his feet to the desk and looked forward.

"W-wow, that was intense, yeah?" Sero's eyes darted from him to me a few times, as if trying to figure out if the conversation had really happened. Even I was a little dazed, glancing down at my desk awkwardly as a tense silence descended over the room for a moment.

"Homura-chan!" Ashido suddenly broke the silence, jabbing a finger in my direction. I pointed at myself with a quirked eyebrow, waiting for her to continue her thought.

"We should have a group training session this weekend! Girls only! We can stay at somebody's house overnight and everything! It'll be fun!" she finally announced, and I could have sworn I heard Mineta suck in his breath dramatically. I had to scold myself mentally for hoping her might stop breathing altogether. That wasn't very heroic.

"So basically, a sleepover?" Jiro twiddled her earjacks around, the conversation suddenly piquing her interest. At the magic word, suddenly everybody's attention was drawn to the topic.

"A sleepover? That sounds like so much fun!" Uraraka clapped her hands together, eyes twinkling as she suddenly barrelled into the conversation.

"We could have it at my house? I've never had guests my age over before. It would be a treat to have you!" Yaoyorozu smiled, and soon all the girls were giggling and chatting away. I couldn't even find an excuse to not talk, and soon we had all migrated to a corner of the classroom while the other boys stared.

"I think we should do the same! A huge group training thing! At my place of course." Kirishima turned in his chair, grabbing the other boy's attention.

"Why the fuck would I want to be with any of you overnight?" Katsuki scowled, raising an eyebrow at the red-head's enthusiasm. Izuku carefully raised his hand, trembling a bit at Katsuki's sudden attention and glare.

"I think…it would be a good idea! But we couldn't have it at my place, I don't think we have room for everybody." He carefully didn't mention the state of his room. He didn't trust everybody THAT much yet. Katsuki sneered at the thought, uncrossing his arms and glaring at everybody.

"Who would want to stay at your place anyways. Tch, this is all stupid. We're not teamed up for the festival, so why show off your moves to your competition?" he reminded everybody, albeit angrily, and for a moment everybody seemed to agree.

"Well it IS a festival. Besides, I think we've fought with each other enough anyways. I'm down for it!" Kaminari finally broke the short silence, and there was a collective nod among the other guys. All except for Shoto, who seemed intent on not being apart of any conversation whatsoever. He had been quiet for the past day, only answering when called upon or addressed specifically.

"Then it's settled! Hey Todoroki-kun, your place should be big right? You think-" Kirishima was cut off instantly, and Shoto clearly wasn't in the mood for anything.

"No. Nobody is allowed at my home. I want nothing to do with your sleepover." He kept his tone even, but everybody seemed to twitch anyways. Katsuki simply snorted and turned his attention back to the board.

"We can go to my place? It should be big enough!" Kaminari offered sheepishly, doing his best to avoid making any type of eye contact with Shoto. Luckily for him, Shoto had returned to staring ahead. Unluckily for Tokoyami, he felt the air around him drop a few degrees. Thankfully, it was at that time everyone was dismissed for lunch. I removed myself from the group of girls with a smile, fully aware of the eyes locked on to me as I headed for the door. Katsuki was oddly quiet, his eyes narrowed as he watched the other's trickle out of the room. Soon, it was just the two of us, and I quietly leaned against the wall near his desk.

"So, what did you want Katsuki-kun? I imagine it isn't about the class?" I coughed nervously, averting my gaze. I was used to his angry and aggressive outbursts, so whenever he was quiet I couldn't help but feel a little unnerved. The longer the silence dragged on, the tenser I got before he finally broke it. I had a feeling he was doing that on purpose.

"Why the fuck were you at that room the other day? You know something, don't you?" he demanded, his voice eerily calm. He looked fit to explode, however, so I knew he was trying to talk for the most part. He wanted answers, and he wouldn't get them if he started screaming.

"I told you. I wanted to talk to Aizawa-sensei in private…" I mumbled, and he slammed his hand down on the table. I narrowed my eyes in response, tensing up in case he wanted to start something. His hands crackled just a bit, but he didn't seem like he wanted to blow anything up. Thankfully.

"That's fucking bullshit! I'm not a fucking idiot like Deku. You know something! So, start spilling!" he snapped, suddenly standing up quickly. I didn't back up, though, and held my ground in front of him. We both knew he wasn't going to do something stupid, and while I knew how nervous I was, I didn't let him push me down. Neither of us would have appreciated that.

"How the hell would I know anything? I just got unlucky! Shit happens, and I'm sorry it happened in some weird coincidental way! I'm the one who nearly got killed the other day, so maybe you should back off?" I jabbed a finger at him, poking him in the chest. It was awkward and unintentional, but I had to go along with it. Katsuki's eyes darted downwards before returning to mine, and I could see his anger spiking tenfold. He suddenly snapped my hand up, gripping my wrist tightly. I didn't flinch, and he did nothing more, our eyes locked in a battle of dominance. I resisted the urge to tremble, meeting his gaze with just as much anger as him.

"You're up to something, and it's fucking stupid, but you don't seem like you're a villain. I'll give you that." He released his death grip on my wrist, and I swallowed hard. I kept up my strong front, however, watching him warily. He backed up, considering.

"I better fucking see you in the festival. Nobody needs stupid cheerleaders." He finally bit out before stomping out of the room, and I slid down the wall to the ground with a sigh of relief.

It was always a challenge dealing with him, and it was the worst when you knew he was serious. It felt wrong in a way to have him mad at me, and I couldn't help but feel slightly guilty. I did know what was going on, but I continued to remain quiet. I had prevented injuries, but the next time I might not be so lucky.

I stood up slowly and carefully, quietly composing myself as I walked out of the room. I nearly ran into Shoto, and I couldn't believe my rotten luck. He was staring at me intently, and I knew another awkward conversation was coming up.

"Walk with me, we'll go to lunch together." He didn't seem angry, though it was difficult to tell. I reached out subtly for Ice, only to hit a wall. Something was bothering him.

"I didn't…see you yesterday. I kinda hoped you'd show up." I finally managed as we broke in to a steady walk, Shoto's eyes firmly focused in front of him. His hands were buried in his pocket, and I could tell he was thinking.

"I didn't visit you. I brought your schoolwork home." He admitted, his tone level.

"You should have visited me. I was worried." I frowned slightly, a little annoyed. Others had visited me, and I had been grateful, but even father had managed to visit regardless of intentions. If he could manage to make time, then Shoto could as well. The fact that he didn't meant something was bothering him, and I wasn't going to let him ignore it. Shoto suddenly stopped, and he let out a loud sigh as he turned to look at me. This time, he looked angry. I steeled my resolve, unwavering.

"What were you even worrying about? You're the one who landed yourself in the hospital. Worry about yourself first." He bit out, and my eyebrow nearly vanished above my hairline. So that was what this was about.

"You act like I willingly threw myself in the middle of everything. In what universe do you think I'd willingly throw myself at some monster thing? Are you even thinking Shoto?" I gave him my best unimpressed look, and he seemed to flinch at it for a second.

"I'm thinking about how you told me to trust you, and look where that landed you." Ouch. I couldn't help but recoil from the reminder, the guilt from earlier welling up inside of me. I had not been prepared to deal with these explosive emotions from two fronts. He didn't let me respond, clearly letting out everything he had bottled up.

"How am I supposed to feel about seeing you half dead, and then watching you laugh it off? Act like it's nothing? And you're going to enter the festival too? You're being stupid, Homura." He jabbed a finger at me, and I took a step back instinctively. It was unnatural how much emotion he was expressing, and I knew he had been holding on to it for a while. I had to try to help him, but I didn't know how. He clearly wanted to me stop, but I couldn't do that. I had things to do and people to help. He couldn't understand. There was no way I could make him.

"We're heroes-in-training, Shoto. Shit happens. We have to be able to move on. Nobody is out to kill each other in the festival. I'll be fine. You don't have to worry about me." I scowled, smacking his hand away. His anger spiked, and the air around us grew chillier. I quirked an eyebrow in response, my own anger spiking and the air suddenly warming up.

"Someone has to if you won't. Don't make me do it, Homura." He warned me carefully, and I stared at him. He wasn't going to start a fight here, was he? Even Katsuki wasn't that stupid, and he was the angriest teen I had ever met.

"Do what? You can't start a fight here. You'll get us both expelled." I reminded him, tensing up a bit. The temperature changed rapidly around us, though neither of us actively used our quirks. Shoto gave me an unimpressed look with a little less intensity than mine.

"Don't be an idiot. You won't make it to the final round of the festival. I'll make sure of it." He promised, his fist clenching.

"I will, and then I'll show you what I can do. That's a promise, Shoto." I countered, swallowing hard. The atmosphere was so thick you could cut it with a knife, and I waited with bated breath for someone to snap. Shoto suddenly withdrew, however, and his attitude did a one-eighty. I blinked, caught off guard by the sudden lack of hostility.

"Fine. I can't really stop you. But know what you're getting into." He seemed to be almost…pleading with me. I couldn't bow down to him, however, and I simply nodded.

"I know what I'm doing. We wouldn't both be here if I didn't." Shoto narrowed his eyes slightly but said nothing. I relaxed slowly, watching as he suddenly made his escape. I watched him go, sighing and running a hand through my hair. There was just way too much drama going on today. I made my way slowly to the cafeteria, joining up with the others since Shoto didn't seem inclined to wait for me. When we made our way back to class, he continued to ignore me. I let him.

* * *

"So, anything you guys want to talk about today? Anything specific?"

I had to hand it to Sora – he was very enthusiastic. The four of us had decided on the café from earlier as our meeting point for sessions, and once a week we were to meet up. Technically we should have met a few days earlier, but considering my situation an exception was made. Shoto and I sat next to each other, a small cup of tea nestled in our hands while Kaito and Sora sat across from us. It was unfortunate that we had to have a session right after yet another fight.

"Or, you can tell us how today went. I think that might be better." Kaito suggested gently, eyeing the two of us. I was willing to try and engage, but with Shoto playing the mute, I felt a bit awkward.

"W-well, I think everybody's planning on sleepovers this weekend. Well, I'm going to one anyways." I finally managed to pull something out of my mind, and Sora seemed pleased.

"Sleepovers are fun. I went to a few in middle school. How about you Shoto? Are you going to one?" he nodded at the teen, indicating he expected a response. Shoto took a sip from his tea, considering.

"No. I prefer to train by myself." He finally mumbled. It was something, though, and Sora wasn't one to dismiss the small effort.

"Well, your work ethic is really good! I think you can learn a lot from others though. You should consider it." Sora rambled, a huge smile on his face as he spoke.

"I don't see why I should bother with that. I didn't come to Yuuei to make friends." Shoto countered, and I quickly took a sip of my tea to avoid commenting on how stupid I thought that was. Heroes worked together all the time. It was in everybody's best interest to know each other. My old man was the rare exception, but that was only because he was crazy good. Shoto and I were nowhere near that level yet.

"Nobody goes to school with that main focus. But having people to rely on is always good, especially in the Pro hero scene." Kaito reminded him, rubbing his chin. "People work together all the time. Teamwork is extremely important."

"The festival isn't a team effort. There's only one winner and it will be me." Shoto took another sip as he spoke, frowning slightly. He didn't seem to like the direction the conversation was taking, and I finally swooped in for the rescue.

"He is kinda right. It would be to his advantage to not show off his stuff. But, I don't want to be a hero just for myself. I'd like to make a bunch of friends along the way." I hummed a bit, smiling despite myself. After all those years of isolation with only my family, engaging and talking to people was a dream come true. Ashido was a little weird and a bit too loud, but she was kind and considerate whenever it came to us. Kirishima, bless his heart, was probably the sweetest guy I had ever met. Izuku was also the same, though he had the same sacrificial tendencies I apparently had according to Shoto. Finally, Katsuki was a gigantic asshole, but he challenged me at every turn and kept my motivation blazing. Everybody else was just as wonderful, but it was the close friends that really did it for me.

"That's really good, Homura. How about you, Shoto? What do you feel about being a hero?" Sora clapped his hands together, his attention drawn to the teen. Shoto considered, staring down at his tea cup before narrowing his eyes. Kaito frowned a bit when he noticed, but said nothing.

"Why does it matter? I'm going to be the best hero…and I'm going to do it without my old man's power. I'm going to do it all by myself." He proclaimed, and the tension suddenly tripled. I quickly brought my cup to my lips, doing my best to relax. Sora's smile faltered a little, and he and Kaito exchanged worried looks.

"Well…there are worse reasons. Just don't forget you have people around you to help." Kaito finally said, and Shoto visibly scowled at this.

"I don't need them. I can do this by myself." He retorted, and I reached out for him carefully. He flinched, but didn't recoil and I rested my hand on his shoulder.

"I mean, yeah you can. You're really strong Shoto. But, I think having friends is really nice. You know what?" I paused to take a sip of my tea. "I think you should go to the sleepover."

Shoto stared at me blankly while Sora and Kaito both nodded enthusiastically.

"Yeah, a good time to try and connect with your classmates. I think it would be good for both of you really. Yeah, you know what you both go to these sleepovers and tell us how they went next week. I think you'll both find something to help you there." Sora declared, clapping his hands together yet again. Kaito nodded, taking a sip of his tea before leaning forward.

"Definitely. But make sure you're not just thinking about what to say to us. Genuinely have fun. It's more for you two than anything else. I think we did pretty good for today." Kaito reminded us gently, reclining back a bit once he had made his point.

"But, we barely talked. Actually, it was only for like maybe thirty minutes tops." I couldn't help but giggle, and Sora leaned over the table to ruffle my hair. I batted his hands away in response.

"You guys don't seem like talking is the way to go. Besides, we kind of made a set plan already. Have you two go and interact at those sleepovers. Don't try anything unsightly though." Sora's eyes suddenly grew serious as he looked over at Shoto, who quirked an eyebrow. I, of course, understood the implications immediately.

"Mineta-kun." Shoto's eyes widened as realization dawned, and suddenly he looked increasingly uncomfortable. I couldn't help but laugh.

* * *

 **A/N :: Yeah, a boring chapter I'll ADMIT. but it's important to keep things flowing together and not just randomly jostled about. I want to keep her life realistic and not just skip to every story arc. Next chapter will be a filler, but then we'll start back in the next arc! I hope you guys like it, and I'm SO sorry for the wait!**


	16. Failing Expectations

**A/N: Hello it's been almost a year OMG. I'm so sorry I got stuck on this chapter, then the Todoroki arc started so I was putting off things while I waited for that to unfold (and wow I love Natsuo anyways). To be perfectly honest, I'm considering restarting this story to include the canon Todoroki's rather than the two I placed in before we knew them. I genuinely love Natsuo, and Touya has a lot of potential in my writing. But I did keep this story on such a long unannounced hiatus that I might just continue anyways? I'd love to hear your thoughts, I could fix a lot of stuff up that's been bugging me for a while now and probably fix a lot of the plot holes and or mistakes I have every now and then. Otherwise I can continue with Kaito and Sora. \**

 **Again, I'm so sorry for the long delay – I lost muse, got busy moving and with school haha. I probably burnt myself out as well writing too much – I'll probably try to get on a weekly schedule just to not stress myself out.**

 **Just a heads up, this chapter is unbeta'd since I did drop off the face of the earth and didn't make any assumptions that my beta would still be around. (and if they are god bless them omg). I didn't want to make you wait any more than absolutely necessary.**

 **I won't answer reviews this time, because its been a year and there are actually a lot more than expected across SEVERAL chapters. But if you'd like to talk, you can absolutely message me.**

* * *

 **Homura 4:30 PM**

It was chilly, and for a moment I thanked the asshole that dropped me in to this world for Shoto's dislike of the fire quirk. Moments later I chastised myself, knowing full well this was no longer a story. His pain – our pain – wasn't something as unimportant as it had been watching every Saturday morning. Even if sometimes I felt a little disconnected.

'Still, I can't ignore the convenience of it all on a day like this' I mused, allowing the fire quirk to spread subtly throughout my body and steadily increase my body temperature. Normally it was hard for me to keep a grip on the flames, and a week or so ago I would have already sparked. With the upcoming festival though, I was a little more displaced in my training and thus managed to improve my subtler skills. Still couldn't control the temperature of actual flames worth a damn though. Shoto might have better luck with that, if he even bothered. Stubborn as he was, he refused to even hold the flame even while I tried to hone my ice skills – even if it was an annoying inconvenience for me.

Practice made perfect though, and I begrudgingly allowed him to leave the house for his sleepover without much complaint. Fire would likely be the tool I had in our fight, if I managed to get that far anyways. The competition was tough, and I knew I really didn't belong here – and thus lacked the 'main character' protection the rest of my class had. In order to keep up, I needed to put effort in to it. Which is why I was even considering the sleepovers in the first place, given it would likely be more efficient to train at home anyways. Gauging my progress against those of my classmates was a solid strategy, though I doubted anyone else had a similar technical approach to it as I. Shoto maybe, and possibly Iida as well – even Bakugou if he showed up.

I paused in my step, adjusting the red scarf slung around my neck as I considered. It was cold, but I was dressed for the occasion after all (and cheated with my quirk, but nobody needed to mention that). A light black jacket, completely inappropriate for the weather, complimented the red scarf adorning my neck. A simple pair of jeans, black tennis shoes, and finally a black beanie completed the assemble – and possibly my ascension as the first Todoroki vampire. Ha, a fire wielding vampire! The irony made me giggle a bit.

"I wonder how Kirishima managed to get Bakugou to go" Amusement laced my voice as I spoke to no one in particular, though a few passersby glanced my way curiously. There was no challenge more daunting, more stressful than trying to get Bakugou to Kirishima and I didn't envy the redhead one bit. He had accepted it eagerly though, and I didn't doubt he found the difficult both invigorating and manly.

Another soft laughed escaped my lips before I resumed my journey once more, mindful of the light bag carrying all my supplies. I had only packed the necessities, given whose house and or mansion the party was at. I had no doubt sleeping arrangements were already made, and therefore carried only clothes and hygienic items in my bag. And as I finally approached the address in the girls group text, I knew my suspicions earlier rang true – this was a giant mansion of epic proportions. Endeavor was the number two hero and we still had a humbler abode – this was just excessive.

"Homura-chan! You made it!" A pink blur suddenly obscured my vision, and I felt my body temperature rise slightly in response before I was pulled in to a bone crushing hug. When did she get a strength quirk?!

"Mina-chan, my lungs, my oxygen, my ribs…!" I wheezed, though I slipped an arm around to pat her back anyways. She giggled at my lackluster struggle to free myself before pulling back, a large grin on her face.

"I'm sorry I didn't think you'd show! You were a little late though~" She teased, though my focus settled on her first words.

"What do you mean? You think I'm that anti-social?" I cocked an eyebrow, and another laugh escaped the excited pink girl's lips before she sobered down. Confusion must have been evident on my face, because another voice joined in the conversation.

"You were kinda injured and all, though you might want to relax and all before the festival. I wouldn't be up for this if I got messed up like that" Jirou approached us casually, arms wrapped around her head lazily. I had to wonder how comfortable that position was given the leather jacket that seemed just a little too tight, but wisely said nothing. I could appreciate Jirou's fashion choice, and for a moment I considered asking her where she picked up that deep dope shirt. I refrained though, knowing father would probably be scandalized by the mere sight of something so 'vulgar'. No need to poke the beast unnecessarily like Shoto tended to.

"Eh, as long as we're not wrestling with no rules in the mud, I think I'll be fine" I hummed, earning another giggle from Ashido.

"I don't think our quirks are really good for that anyways!" To my credit, I only flinched slightly at Hagakure's sudden appearance. "I think we're better off being sneaky!"

"You would say that with your quirk, Hagakure-chan" Mina huffed, the grin on her face betraying the annoyed tone she was using. Combine that with the gaudy leopard animal print tank top and blinding white jeans and nobody would be convinced she was ever capable of being mad. Sassy and sarcastic maybe, but never genuinely offended. I had a suddenly sneaking feeling that she had hugged me for my warmth rather than excitement at seeing me appear.

In contrast, Hagakure was bundled up head to toe in a similarly striking attire like Ashido, though a little more weather appropriate. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Tsuyu approaching as well, and I was thrown off by the excessive layers she was wearing. Then I remembered how frogs worked, and mentally facepalmed. I opened my mouth to greet her, but before the words even processed in my brain the sound of a gate opening behind caught my attention. Stupidly, I had almost forgot where we were amid everything. My environmental awareness needed fine tuning apparently.

"I'm so sorry everyone, I had to be sure all the preparations for guests were in order before I allowed you inside! Mother would be furious if I was ill prepared for guests!" Yaoyorozu clapped her hands together, figurative flowers radiating off her person. If there was anyone who was incapable of being hated or even mad at here, it was her. Even considering the idea alone made me guilty, and I had to wonder if that was a secondary quirk of hers. Absolute adorableness.

It was almost a shame Shoto's secondary quirk was stiffness. Thanks Father.

"It's only a sleepover, what did you have to do?" I furrowed my brows, though my question went unanswered thanks to Ashido's sudden outburst.

"It's fine! I'm so excited to see your house! How rich are you, this gate is huge?!" she squealed, black eyes wide as she gave the gate another appreciative look. I couldn't help but observe the focus of attention as well, given I had been distracted by the conversation earlier.

While my house took a more traditional wooden gate approach to keeping intruders out, Yaoyorozu's grounds were secured by a massive well-made iron gate. Both of our estates had the small callbox on the side, but hers was clearly more advanced. It even had a screen to see who was checking the visitors at the gate while mine simply had a voice box. I could admire the extravagance of it all, even if I favored our more simplistic approach. There was something useful about subtly given the wide scope of villainy, and a giant 'Y' on a metal gate was not it. Given her family's lower rankings though, it was probably wasn't as necessary.

Yaoyorozu had the humilty to look a little abashed, if not confused, by the pink girl's outburst.

"Ah, it's not that big. Far more wealthier families have even larger estates, and this is nothing compared to our vacation home" Even I barely held back the choked noise at the implications, though wisely kept my mouth shut. Everyone else seemed to choose that option as well, instead turning their attention on the reason we were hear.

Training.

"PARTY! I can't wait to see what your house looks like, I brought all kinds of nail polish. You know they just released some Mt Lady's colors? The purple is so pretty!" Hagakure held up her bag excitedly, and I could hear the tiny glass containers clinking against each other gently.

Even Jirou seemed outwardly interested, even if she lingered towards the back. Ashido looked ecstatic, while Tsuyu and Yaoyorozu had a more subdued eagerness in their eyes. It wasn't really my thing, but I could feign intrigue easily enough. When in Rome I supposed.

"Is there a light green color, ribbit?" Tsuyu inquired, a finger held to her chin thoughtfully as she glanced at the bag. Hagakure nodded – or well I assumed given the motions of the bag – before letting it fall back to her side once more.

"Yeeees! We have to get inside to get all set up first though, I wouldn't wanna do anything out here!" she giggled, unintentionally reminded Yaoyorozu of her negligence. Well, inattention to her anyways given I doubted any of us really cared. She still seemed mortified at her transgressions despite it all.

"You're so right, I'm so sorry! Come along, I'll escort you all inside!" her hands covered her mouth as she spoke, and there was a wave of guilt that washed over us at the sight. That was just too much social power for one person to hold. We were like putty in her hands, even if she didn't realize it.

"Nah, its chill Yaoyorozu-chan. There's not really a rush or anything" Jirou piped up, mildly uncomfortable about the obvious distress on the other girl's face.

"Yeah! We have plenty of time to have fun! We can all go now! I'm sure everything's perfect!" Ashido chimed in, clapping her hands together excitedly. Hagakure did something – I really didn't know how everyone else seemed to know what she as doing – that was likely an excited gesture as well. Tsuyu simply nodded, smiling slightly.

Thankfully, Yaoyorozu seemed mollified by our group effort, and eagerly led us inside after inputting a security code to open the gate once more. I sighed in relief, a little more than eager to escape indoors. As immune to the weather as I was, I still didn't like lingering out here too long. The dull pain in my arm reminded me that it wasn't as safe as everyone assumed. I might have been a little too paranoid though. A side effect of getting smashed in to the ground I supposed.

Or, maybe I was just wary of a certain creepy purple-haired ball boy hiding in the bushes.

* * *

 **Shoto 6:00 PM**

In hindsight, it might have been better to skip this ordeal all together and focus on training at home alone. Homura might have wanted to establish connections with people, and that I would never understand, but it certainly wasn't at the top of my agenda. Yet, I still found myself standing outside the well-lit home alone, clutching my bag like it was a lifeline. An unconscious curiosity I supposed, one that could only be sated by attending this fiasco. If I was lucky, I could blend in to the environment and pretend I wasn't there. I doubted the supposed training would be of any use to my current regime.

I nearly left all together, but –

"Todoroki-kun! Come on in!" Kirishima's voice exploded out of the suddenly ajar door, the red head peeking out. His hair was down, and he seemed to already be in pajamas, which was strange given the original intention of this get together. Sleepwear hardly seemed like suitable training attire.

I didn't acknowledge him verbally, but despite it all I found myself at the door within a few blinks. He remained unfazed by my clear disinterest in socialization, as though he had expected it, and gestured for me to enter. It was a little odd given this was Kaminari's home, since one would expect the host to greet everyone, but it was apparent why as soon as I entered the home.

"THAT WAS FUCKING BULLTSHIT YOU-" Bakugou's voice exploded from the couch, hands gripping the Wii controller tightly as he stared down the yellow-haired host beside him. His hands seemed to smoke slightly, but he apparently wasn't dumb enough to blow up a controller. An unexpected gesture given what I knew of him, which was admittedly close to nothing. Homura would know better, but it wasn't like we were on comfortable speaking terms. Not with her recent string of idiocy.

"YOU MAD BRO? VICTORY!" Kaminari cheered, standing on the couch and holding his arms in the air victoriously. Seconds later he was suddenly on the ground, the usually explosive teen channeling all his anger in to tackling the boy to the ground. Kirishima was laughing, cheering on the impromptu wrestling fight while Midoriya seemed unsure of what to do. He fidgeted in the corner of the room, a few incoherent words slipping from his lips at the display. Mineta seemed annoyed, and I had a sinking suspicion why. Iida, however, seemed to be the only rational teen in the room.

"Kaminari-kun! Bakugou-kun! You must desist, this is inappropriate behavior! We should respect Kaminari-kun's parents and-" He was cut off by the sudden controller to the face, followed by a muffled 'fuck off glasses' that I presumed came from Bakugou.

All in all, it was chaotic, and my doubts from earlier resurfaced. I really was better off at home then trying to train in this absolute madhouse. I turned on my heel, about to slip out of the room quietly when a nervous voice caught my attention.

"Ah, T-Todoroki-kun, are you leaving?" Midoriya, the childhood friend of Homura's I had only recently been introduced to approached me carefully. He was remarkably uncomfortable, almost to my level, and seemed eager to find solace in another withdrawn individual. I had every right to refuse and exit without another word. I could of.

I didn't though.

"No. I assumed there would be more than just…them…here however" Ojiro, Sato and Tokoyami were some of the few I could tolerate. Sato less so than the others, but neither of the three managed to aggravate me with obnoxious amounts of anger or irrational anger like the others did. Normally I could even handle Iida, but his volume was too much for me as he tried to break up the fight.

"A-ah, well there are others. Tokoyami-kun couldn't show up, s-said something about quirk issues. Sato-kun and Ojiro-kun are here though! Sato-kun went to bake something for us, and I think Ojiro-kun was resting" I caught sight of what appeared to be a tuff of fluff out of a pile of pillows in the corner, and I could make the connection between that and the noise. Apparently, it was not just us bothered by the energy.

It was…relieving in a way to know others seemed to feel the same as I did. Which was odd, given I wasn't interested in forming any so called 'bonds' as Homura might put it. Strange.

"Tokoyami-kun might be the more intelligent of us then" I mused, and Midoriya winced slightly. Not that I cared beyond noticing his discomfort anyways.

"W-well, once they settle down and we all relax we can probably still train. Even if its more with words than anything else?" He offered hesitantly, as if reading the disappointment, I felt at this turn of events. I hadn't exactly expressed my displeasure at the impromptu change of plans, so the smaller boy was clearly cleverer than I had pegged him to be. Few would find it easy to analyze others in this devolving environment, especially as pillows started to fly. I could hear Ojiro's shouts of outrage as his sanctuary was breached, though he had a large smile on his face as he entered the battle.

"Physical training would benefit us most of all. Except for a few I suppose" I pointed out, and he chuckled nervously.

"Y-yeah, well strategies are important too! You can have the best quirk in the world, but if you can't properly utilize it for maximum efficiency then you could very well lose to someone who might not have as strong a quirk! I have a bunch of stuff me and Homura-chan went over, and I think you could probably use them too since you guys seem similar enough in your styles you could probably adapt it to-"

"You've been observing how I use my quirk?" I interrupted before he could get lost in his words, and he seemed to flush at the implications.

"W-well, I f-find watching other people fight and seeing how they use their quirks interesting and um-" his voice trailed off, and the awkwardness seemed to increase tenfold. I didn't have the social capabilities to diffuse the situation and neither did he, so silence slowly filled our corner of the room. It was strange how social slip ups seemed to burn far worse than scalding hot water in the first place, but it did. I abruptly ended that train of thought though, not wanting to lose myself in the past. Now was not the time. Especially when I noticed something important.

"Where's Mineta-kun?"

* * *

 **Homura 7:00 PM**

It was almost painful how long I held my hands in position, my regret increasing for every second I was forced to wait. She was slow, careful, and while I could appreciate her attention to detail-

"Oh my god, my hand is going to fall off at this rate" I grumbled good-naturedly, Hagakure giggling in response. The brush glided down my nail carefully, the invisible girl determined to give it a nice, glossy coat before adding on anything else. I was thankful she had been a little quicker with my other hand, as holding that arm up for too long would have hurt.

"You're so dramatic Homura-chan" And that was rich coming from Ashido of all people "I once held my hand still for eight hours straight!"

"How are your hands even still functioning?" Jirou questioned, eyes widening at the mere thought. It was a little odd coming from her as well, since I knew her hands had calluses from the hours she played her guitar. While playing the instrument might not have looked painful, it was excruciating to hold down the strings for too long. I had dabbled a bit in my past life, though not to the extent of Jirou. She hadn't cited any experience, but future knowledge let me cheat a little. Not that I would mention it anyways.

"I've never used nail polish myself. It's not easy with my hands, ribbit" Tsuyu commented idly, propped up on a few pillows that had been laid around the room.

Our little group had apparently claimed one of several family rooms (knowledge that had everyone but my eyes practically popping out of their heads), though the pillows were an impulse decision. Well, more like Ashido practically begged Yaoyorozu to see a little bit of the house and returned twenty minutes later stocked with pillows of varying sizes. Yaoyorozu's mother might complain later, but it was all in good fun.

Hopefully. I was aware of the potential a mass number of pillows had at a slumber party and given how long I sat here waiting for my nails to be done, I wasn't keen on ruining them. If I was going to have to risk my hand falling asleep, I was damn well going to make sure the effort wasn't wasted at least.

"You should ask me to help you sometime before class, I can make your nails sparkle in no time!" Ashido offered, beaming.

"Me too! I'm good at it too, obviously!" Hagakure hummed, holding up my hand she was working with as emphasis. I let out another dramatic sigh to emphasize my impending discomfort, and she giggled before returning to work.

"Or, you could focus on getting to class on time Mina-chan" I said dryly, and the pink girl had the decency to look to look a little reprimanded. That faded quickly though.

"Yes, Sensei, I promise I won't be late again. Maybe" she teased, and I snorted. The other girls giggled as well, and for a while we let ourselves get lost in idle chatter. I even forgot the original intention of the get together, completely absorbed in to friendly atmosphere. It was…nice, something one really couldn't achieve by themselves.

Of course, nothing could happen without something stupid happening.

"I wonder if that's Uraraka-chan" Yaoyorozu frowned at the sudden ding, announcing that someone had arrived. I had almost forgotten about the other girl, and even now I assumed she wasn't attending. It was a little late to show up, but I guess there hadn't been a strict set time.

"I hope so! I was kinda bummed she didn't show!" Hagakure exclaimed, finally releasing her hold on my hand after adding on a few little stars. I pulled it back carefully, admiring her work. It was pretty.

"I'll go see, if you'll excuse me for a moment" Yaoyorozu bowed her head, and we couldn't help the giggle at the over the top formality. The taller girl disappeared in to the hall, and I returned my focus to my hand once more.

"You know Hagakure-chan, you should consider being a nail stylist or whatever it's called if the hero business doesn't pan out" I commented idly, and she mock gasped in horror.

"Are you saying I'm not god enough to be a hero? Is that the famous Todoroki superiority I'm seeing?" I choked at her words, wheezing slightly from the sheer hilarity of the sentence.

"The what now?" I finally managed, calming down my laughs just enough to get words out. Ashido snickered alongside with me, plopping down on her elbows among the pillows.

"Come on, don't tell me you don't think your brother is just a little too…cold? Stiff? A statue? Endeavor-san's apparently not known for his personality either. Is it hereditary?" she giggled, and my laughter ramped back up to an unreasonable volume once more. Nobody else seemed bothered by it though, and if anything, they only contributed to the obnoxious noise in the room.

"If it is, I'm glad I didn't get it. Don't think I can handle not having emotions for so long" I managed somehow amidst my giggle fit, only slightly shamed at amusement at my brother's expensive. He hadn't exactly been doing himself any favors to try and get along with me recently, and the discussion was hardly harmful.

"At least you got your dad's awesome quirk. Fire is so cool, but I think I'd set everything on fire by accident. At least you'll always have a campfire for your marshmallows!" Hagakure added in, stoking the fire even more. Even Tsuyu was giggling at this point, her usually stoic face replaced by a wide smile.

"Eh, I think I prefer my mother's quirk more. Never have to worry about ice cubes making my drinks watery. Mobile ice cube anyone?" I hummed, earning another wave of giggles. Of course, good things only lasted so long.

"Homura-chaaan, what's your mom like anyways? Everyone knows Endeavor-san, but I've never seen your mom or heard anything about her. Is she cool?" Ashido asked innocently, though she was likely aware of the pun. Unfortunately, she didn't know about the giant elephant in the room that was the topic of my mother. I could feel myself sobering up quickly, and despite my attempts to hide my discomfort, there was a palpable sense of unease that hadn't been there before.

"You don't have to answer, ribbit" Tsuyu spoke gently, an absolute champion at hiding any negative emotions on her face. Hagakure and Ashido, however, were looking away awkwardly. I swallowed down the guilt – I didn't have to feel bad for my feelings – and nodded slightly.

"Maybe another time" My voice was soft and vulnerable, much to my displeasure, but I wasn't the best at hiding that stuff. Not when I was around so many people I felt comfortable with. Maybe another time was a promise, not a deflection.

"Hey guys, sorry to interrupt uh-" Jirou paused in the doorway for a moment, eyeing the oddly quiet group before continuing. "We got an unwanted visitor"

Given my concerns from earlier, I had an annoying feeling that I knew who it was.

* * *

 **Shoto 7:30 PM**

"The girls are going to hate us eternally UGH!" Kaminari whined, trudging down the street with a light bruise on his cheek. It had been an epic brawl that had dragged in a few others, save Midoriya and I, but it had given a certain someone a chance to escape. And, in Kirishima's words, it was our duty as men to stop him before he did something unsavory. Iida had seemed to agree, save the manly part.

"You should have spent less time fighting and more time paying attention" I was surprised by the sharpness in my words, but all things considered I had a right to be angry. Despite our recent altercations, Homura was still my sister. The fact that Mineta had any intentions to disrespect her had my blood boiling. I was dimly grateful Homura held the fire. The air was only slightly chillier thanks to my fine-tuned control over the ice.

"Shut up ice cube, you have fucking eyes too. Spend less time melting in a corner why don't you,eh?" Bakugou snapped, surprisingly angry. Granted he had an explosive personality without an off switch (sadly), but for some reason he seemed almost personally offended. I chalked it up to being forced to join the group in locating the wayward delinquent.

"Mineta-kun should show more respect towards the woman of our class! I will have to be sure to lecture him and ensure the words stick this time!" Iida huffed, and while his determination was admirable, we all knew how unlikely it was the small boy was to change.

"At least we can save our pride men when we save the girls" Kirishima grinned, his intentions likely more noble than his words implied. He was the type of man to save someone just to save them, not so much to receive the gratitude of the saved. Kaminari might not have shared his sentiment, but at least everyone here was doing something good.

It was likely social obligation that inspired them all to join the manhunt though.

"I'm surprised he even found their location so easily" I piped in, likely surprising everyone. Midoriya seemed to jump beside me anyways, pulling down the hood of his All Might Hoodie to glance at me. I paid him no heed.

"Yaoyorozu's family is pretty famous, and they're not known for being all that subtle" Ojiro explained, holding out his phone for emphasis. True to his words, it was hilariously easy to find out their residence. I was grateful that Endeavor had not been so obvious about our home. I doubt I could stand any fans lingering outside, though it didn't seem to be a problem with the Yaoyorozus. They simply weren't famous enough.

"And yet now its backfired on them. They should reconsider their approach to home security" I muttered, annoyance flaring up slightly. Had they even attempted to be a little subtler, this scenario wouldn't have been an issue in the first place.

"You guys act like he can even get in. You see those gates? He ain't getting in without breaking the law, and he's not that stupid" Kaminari chimed in.

"How do you know he's not?" Sato inquired curiously, and the yellow-haired boy shrugged. "Eh, we talk a lot. Even he's got limits, even with all the toeing the line he does"

"Forgive me if I hold little weight in your words" I spoke dryly, much to Kaminari's chagrin.

"Stop your fucking useless babbling, you hear that noise?" Bakugou growled, and everyone seemed to pause. It sounded like voices…and it was clear we had located our lost classmate. Apparently, he had reached the girls first.

And, from the amount of voices, it didn't seem like they really needed our help. It didn't stop us from running ahead though.

"- I outta call the police on you, you asshole!" Jirou snapped, practically fuming as she stood outside the gate with the other girls. Her ear lobes danged dangerously in front of the smaller boy, who appeared to be sweating profusely. As far as I was concerned though, he deserved the tongue lashing.

"Why're you so angry, I'm practically complimenting you!" he wheezed, recoiling at the sharp glare from Ashido.

"You're being gross! You don't have any shame whatsoever!" she huffed, folding her arms across her chest and looking away. The other girls seemed to be displaying varying shades of anger, including Homura. I almost considered getting her attention but chose not to.

"Hey girls, sorry um-" Kaminari began as he approached, flinching as the sharp gaze was suddenly turned on him. Kirishima came up from behind to support him, a little stronger in the face of several angry glares.

"I'm sorry we men failed to keep him away, especially since he got all the way over here. We can take him back" he assured them, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes. It was likely they would get in to another brawl, distracted again, and he would vanish once more. This all seemed futile, and I couldn't fathom why they were bothering to stick their necks out for someone like him.

"And you'll actually keep him away?" Homura's voice sounded annoyed, but distant, and I had to wonder if someone had happened. Even if we weren't on best terms, I could tell when my twin was off. She made no attempts to find me in the group though, and I remained resolute to avoid eye contact as well. I did, however, decide to add in my two cents.

"Yes. There should be no more issues" the other girls seemed a little calmer when I spoke, likely because I spoke at all. I wasn't known for it, so my words carried more weight than the chatterboxes of the group. Even Homura seemed appeased.

"If you promise! I'm lucky I saw him when I coming, since I was super late. Ugh" Uraraka grumbled, still a little angry but appeased by the assurances.

A few words, and in the case of Bakugou shouts, were exchanged before Mineta was released in to our custody. Iida was given him the worst tongue lashing I had ever heard from the taller boy, though it was hardly my concern. Instead, my dual colored eyes met bright blue and I found Homura staring at me.

We didn't speak, just simply stared before she eventually broke eye contact and looked away. She seemed almost guilty, but I knew that wasn't quite right. Homura had always seemed self-confident, so sure in her decisions that she rarely ever seemed to feel guilty. She certainly hadn't when she told me off for trying to deter her from trying too hard in the festival. Nothing seemed to faze her as far as I could tell.

"Ah, Todoroki-kun. We're leaving" Midoriya muttered quietly, nudging my arm before looking horrified with himself seconds later. I didn't reprimand him, much to his surprise. I simply joined along with the group, not sparing the girls another glance. There were other things to worry about now after all.

* * *

 **Homura**

Long story short, the sleepovers went off without a hitch after that. We didn't really do much in terms of training, unless you counted watching cheesy action movies as information gathering. Ashido did anyways, and I honestly couldn't find it in me to complain. It was nice really, to take a step back from everything and really relax. Training could wait.


End file.
